A Magical Discovery
by Whispering Soul of the Moon
Summary: Long ago, a dark evil sorcerer threaten to reign over a mystical world, but he was stopped by a beautiful princess and her powers which caused her to lose her life. Now 10,000 years later, he's come back for revenge. Atem/Tea R
1. Unknown Powers

**Hello, this is something that popped into my head. I'll be working on this story along with my other one 'Connected Hearts'. Hope you like this new one. Now before you read, you might come across some parts in the story that didn't happen in the anime, I know, but this is how I thought of the storyline. So I hope you readers will enjoy it. I also like to dedicate this story to a dear friend of mine, Cheating Death formerly known as Tea-The Chosen One. This story is for her.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!**

**Summary: In a another world thousands of years ago, there lived mystical creatures who lived peacefully, that was until a dark evil prescence threaten to take over. He almost succeeded, until he was stopped by a beautiful princess who saved the creatures from his evil wrath. Now 10,000 years into the present time, he has come back to finish what he's started and also get revenge on the one who stopped him.**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_Long ago, in a world full of magical energies and spells, there lived peaceful mystical creatures. Everything around was full of enchantment magic, rivers, trees, mountains. All each having the same amount of pure energy because the world was protected by an Orb of Light that kept it balanced. All the creatures didn't have a care in the world and they were happy. _

_That is until tragedy happened. _

_In the darkest part of the world, there lived an evil sorcerer who lived off of any type of energy he could get his hands on. He traveled to the mystical land planning to take the Orb of Light that kept it going strong and destroyed any creature that got in his way. Because of his dark magic, the orb lost its purity, which turned into an evil source of dark energy that caused disastrous earthquakes. The rivers lost its purity glow and turned into a poisionous purple color. The trees were gloomy and the skies grew cold and dark. With the orb in his hand, there was nothing that could stop his evil reign of taking over the world. He had evil shadowed henchmen working for him and taking the creatures as his slaves. _

_All seemed lost. There was no hope for anyone. That is until a shimmer of light came from no where and stuck the sorcerer in pain. He looked up and found where the source of light came from. A woman dressed in a long, glowing white dress carrying a long scepter. She had long brown hair flowing down to her waist and eyes as blue as the ocean. She was floating in mid-air with her companions by her side. A small black cat-like creature with little wings coming out of his back and a lioness that harbored the power of lightning. _

_The princess lifted her scepter into the air and performed the necessary spell that would rid the evil that was brought upon the world, but the evil sorcerer used his dark powers to attack her. Lifting her hand, she shot out a glowing energy beam and shot him to make him weaker. Both were battling to the death and the princess gave all her power in order to stop the sorceror. She had only one option, in order to save the world, she would have to sacrifice herself in the process. _

_Giving her friends one last look, she floated over to the sorceror and prepared to give the last bit of her energy. Summoning all the power stored inside her, she glowed a pure white and blasted him with an intense attack. It not only saved the whole world, but it stopped the sorcerer dead in his tracks making him disappear without a trace. The orb was brought back to its pureness and it returned to its place to the center of the world. _

_Because of that last attack, the princess lost her life in the process. All of the creatures, including her companions, made a memorial in honor of what she had done in battle. No one knows if the evil sorcerer was destroyed in the blast or not because of his disappearance, but there wasn't any sign of his presence anywhere. So everyone assumed that he was killed along with the princess. _

_But little did they know, they were completely wrong._

* * *

A groaning sound came from under the blankets and tried to turn away from the noise of a blaring, alarm clock. Giving up after the sound was impossible to drown out, a girl named Tea sat up and hit the button to stop the beeping. Stretching her arms and waking herself up, she stood from her bed and prepared herself for a day of school. When she was showered and dressed in her pink and blue school uniform, she looked over to her clock and saw that it was time to meet up with her friends.

After stepping out the door, Tea breathed in the morning air and made her way over to the Game Shop to meet up with Yugi and Atem. Tea had blushed when Atem's name popped into her mind. It's been seven months since the Ceremonial Battle between Atem and Yugi which ended on a draw. Because Atem couldn't go back into the puzzle, he was granted a body of his own by the power of the seven Millennium items.

Since Atem received his own body, Tea noticed a change in his eyes from what she always saw. Instead of the worry and intimidating gaze she saw when he was facing off with a villain that's trying to take over the world, she saw a carefree, relaxing gaze in his eyes when they're hanging out. Looking up, Tea realized that she was only a few steps away from arriving to the Game Shop and saw Grandpa Moto outside sweeping the walkway.

"Good morning Mr. Moto," she said.

Grandpa looked up and smiled. "Ah, good morning Tea. How are you today?" he asked.

"I'm okay, still a little tired, but I'll perk up soon. Are Atem and Yugi ready?" Just as soon as she asked that, the door opened and out came Yugi and Atem. Tea smiled at the both of them and blushed when she saw Atem waving from the door. Both were dressed in their blue school uniforms, but under Yugi's jacket he was wearing a white shirt and Atem wore a black one. Around Atem's neck hangs the Millennium Puzzle. He still possessed some of his powers, but there wasn't any need for them anymore since all of the evil has been wiped out from the world.

"Hey Tea, hope we didn't keep you waiting for too long," said Yugi.

"No, you guys are right on time. It's Joey and Tristan who are going to be late if they don't hurry."

Atem looked up and from a distance, he could see two running figures coming their way. Well more like fighting and stumbling at the same time. "Looks like we won't have to wait long." Atem said. As they were coming closer, you could hear the two of them arguing.

"See Tristan, I told you they were here already. We would have been late if you haven't slept in again," said Joey.

Tristan growled. "Me? _I _wasn't the one who was making us late. It was you busy stuffing your face with those sandwiches you bought. How many did you eat so far, tubby? I lost count after the seventh one."

"What are you trying to say Tristan, that I have no self control when it comes to food? And don't call me tubby!"

"That's exactly what I'm saying and I'll call you whatever I want to call you."

Just when Joey and Tristan were about to go at it, Tea stepped in the middle and pushed them apart. "Alright, break it up you two, were going to be late either way if we don't start moving." she said.

Tristan and Joey gave one last glare to each other before turning away and walked ahead. Atem, Yugi and Tea all sweat dropped as they heard them muttering and followed behind them after saying goodbye to Grandpa.

It was ten minutes since they've been walking and Yugi was in the middle of Joey and Tristan keeping the two at a distance in case they decided to attack each other. That left Atem and Tea walking behind them. Tea looked over to Atem next to her finding him smiling and to her. It made him look completely handsome. Seeing him happy made her smile, knowing that he didn't have to worry about protecting the world from evil anymore.

Suddenly, she stopped walking. Atem looked behind him to see Tea standing with a stare as if she was thinking about something and went over to see what she hand on her mind. "Is something wrong Tea?" he asked.

Tea was startled out of her thoughts and looked up when she heard Atem's voice, seeing him standing in front of her.

Blushing from his gaze, she shook her head and smiled. "No, everything's fine. I was just thinking about the past few years. All of the duels you were in and villains we've faced, it just feels nice not having to worry about some psycho trying to take over the world."

Atem nodded agreeing with her statement. "Yes, that is true."

Tea was silent for a moment just staring at Atem when she decided to speak again. "May I ask you a question?" she asked.

"Of course, what is it?"

"Well...when you and Yugi had that duel a few months ago, have you ever wondered if it would've had a different outcome?"

Atem was silent after Tea asked her question and it made him really think about his answer. "I...have actually. To tell you the truth, I thought that Yugi would become victorious from that duel," he said.

Tea gasped silently. "You did? But that would've meant having you going to the afterlife."

"I know and if I would have lost, then I would have gone knowing that Yugi became the strong duelist that he wanted to be. But that would also mean leaving my friends behind too. I'm glad it did end in a draw because now, I can stay here in this world with you all, especially you," he said.

Tea blushed and smiled. "I'm glad you're here too, Atem. It's great knowing you get to stay."

Atem smiled back to Tea and if you looked closely, you can almost see a tint of red on his face.

"HEY!"

Atem and Tea both turned to Joey, Tristan and Yugi a far distance from them with Joey flapping his arms around getting their attention. "What's keeping you guys? We're going to be late if ya don't hurry it up," he said.

Realizing that he was right, Atem and Tea hurried on after the others. As they were running, something dark peeked around the corner and watching them. This caused Tea to stop and turn around like an unknown force made her to, but when she turned, there was nothing there.

Atem noticed her stop again, but this time, he saw Tea looking alarmed for some reason. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Tea looked at Atem and then back at the corner while shaking off the feeling. "Nothing, I just thought I heard something, but it's probably just a cat. We better go before we're late," she said. Atem nodded and both ran again to catch up with the others.

The same darkness came from around the corner again which turned out to be three cloaked figures bearing smirks.

"Well, looks like we've finally found her," said an unknown male.

"Yeah, the master will be very pleased," said an unknown female.

"So, what are we waiting for? Let's go tell him the news. I'm just itching to have some fun," said another unknown male. With that, the three of them disappeared in a portal of darkness which vanished after a second later.

* * *

"And that brings your life points down to zero Joey," said Yugi.

Joey groaned and starting pulling on his hair from his fifth time losing to Yugi at Duel Monsters. "How are you doing that, Yug? Okay, this time I got a fool proof strategy to beat ya." he said.

Tristan shook his head. "Joey, you've been saying that for the past hour now and I'm still waiting on this 'fool proof' strategy of yours that you claim to have up your sleeve," he said.

Joey slowly turned to Tristan and glared. "Well fine, you got such a big mouth Tristan, why don't you duel me."

Tristan glared back. "You're on, with the luck you've been having, I'll be able to beat you in two minutes."

Joey growled. "You're going to eat those words when I'm finished with you."

"Don't make promises you can't keep." As they continued throwing insults at each other, Yugi stood up from his seat to give to Tristan and walked over to Atem who was reading some notes he wrote down from class earlier.

"How's it going with the studying?" he asked playfully.

Atem looked up and chuckled. "Alright, I believe. Makes me wonder though which class is the worst," Yugi laughed and sat down next to him.

"You know, I've been meaning to ask what you and Tea were talking about this morning. It looked like you two were in a deep discussion."

Atem sighed and nodded. "We were...she was thinking about all of the evil that we've faced and conquered in the past. How nice it is that the world is finally at peace."

Yugi nodded agreeing with him. "I know, it's great not having to worry about some evil spirit trying to destroy the world anymore."

"She was also thinking about our duel back in Egypt."

"Really, how come?"

"Well, she asked me if I had expected the duel to end differently, like what would have happened if the duel didn't end in a draw." Yugi already knew the answer to that theory. He looked up again when Atem started to speak.

"I was expecting that you would be the winner," he said. Yugi eyes widened with surprise.

"You did, but that have meant -"

"I know, it would have meant me going to the afterlife, but I would have gone knowing that you were the strong person you turned out to be right now."

Yugi smiled. "Thanks Atem, that really means alot coming from you, but the duel ended in a draw for a reason I guess. See, you were granted your own body and now you can have the life you always wanted with us. And you're right, the duel did make me feel much stronger. So, I got something out of it too. We were both winners in the end," he said.

Atem thought about it and had to smile too. "Well said, thank-you Yugi."

"Anytime, hey where's Tea?" he asked. Atem noticed that she wasn't in the room.

"I don't know, she was standing by the window when I last saw her."

Yugi turned to Joey and Tristan who were still fighting and they were having a tug-of-war with a Duel Monster card. "Hey guys, have either of you seen Tea?"

Stopping their fight, Tristan answered. "Yeah, I think she was heading up to the roof of the school."

Atem put his book away in his bag and stood up from his seat. "I'm going to go check on her, see if she's alright," he said leaving the three of them.

Joey and Tristan turned to Yugi with confused expressions.

"Uh, did we miss something Yug?" asked Joey.

Yugi chuckled and shook his head. "No, everything's fine guys," he said. Then, like nothing ever happened, Tristan and Joey went back to their fighting which caused Yugi to sweat drop and the two of them.

* * *

Tea was standing on the school roof facing the the city while holding on to the fence in front of her. Somehow, she couldn't shake off the feeling from this morning. No matter what she did or how much she tried to think about something else, the feeling just wouldn't disappear.

_'When I turned around, I couldn't see anything, but for some reason my mind just can't seem to let it go. Maybe I'm just being paranoid and working so hard that I just think I'm seeing things. Besides, if there really was anything there, then Atem would have been able to sense it. He still has the Millennium Puzzle after all. His powers would have been able to detect something, but he didn't.'_ she thought. Tea was so deep in thought that she didn't hear the door open and someone coming up on the room with her.

Atem stepped through the door and looked around the roof until he spotted Tea by the fence. As he watched her closely, he noticed that she still had that look form this morning. Like she was thinking about something. So closing the door behind him, he walked over to talk with her. Coming up behind her, he tapped her shoulder which caused her to gasp in surprise and turn to see Atem. Tea place a hand on her rapidly beating heart to calm herself down from the fright.

"Oh, Atem you scared me. I didn't hear you coming," she said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. I just came up here to see if you were alright."

Tea looked up and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just doing a little thinking that's all," she said as she turned back facing the fence again.

Atem came up to stand beside her. "You've been doing that alot lately, is there something you want to talk about?"

Tea was silent and thought if she should tell Atem what she was feeling. "Have you ever had the feeling that you think something is around watching you and when turn around, it's not there anymore? But when you find out that it's nothing, your mind just won't let it go. Like it's trying to tell you to keep your guard up."

Atem was a little concerned on why Tea would ask him such a question and wondered if there was someone is following her. That made his blood boil in anger thinking that someone might be stalking Tea. He made a silent promise that he would protect her with his life.

Tea sighed. "Maybe I'm just imagining things. Maybe I'm just working so hard that my head isn't thinking the way it's suppose to. I'm sorry for putting this all on you, Atem. Making you worry about something for no reason at all."

Atem shook his head. "It's only normal for you to feel that way, but you don't have to worry, okay? Because I'll make sure that no harm comes to you."

Tea smiled and walked closer to hug his waist. Atem was surprised by the gesture she gave and slowly wrapped his arms around her hugging her back.

Pulling back, they smiled at each other. "We should head on back, the last class is about to start," she said. Atem nodded and both of them walked over to the door. There was another dark presence there watching and it caused Tea to turn again seeing that it was still nothing. She stood watching that spot for a few seconds before catching up to Atem.

* * *

In a dark fortress located in a different dimension, there were swarms of shadowed creatures feeding off energy. Looking more further, we find a an evil sorcerer performing a ritual as he was sacrificing another one of his slaves to boost his power. None of them had the right type of power he was looking for and he was getting extremely furious. He was built with a muscled figure, pale long blond hair that stopped at his shoulders and his eyes were a evil silver color. He was dressed in a dark sorcerer's robe with a black cape draping over his shoulders.

Turing his head from the green fire he was facing, he found a dark portal appearing in front of him and his loyal subjects coming out of it.

"Lord Gyousei, we have found her," said an unknown male. Lord Gyousei was his name and he turned to the three cloathed figures with an evil smirk.

"Excellent work, my minions. It's time for my revenge to begin."

"What would you like for us to do, my lord?" asked the unknown female.

Gyousei pondered on this and then turned to his shadowed creatures thinking about his plan. "Let's give the princess a welcome party. Take the shadow demons with you and give that city a greeting they'll never forget." The dark figures laughed evilly and disappeared through the portal they came out of taking the demons with them.

Gyousei turned around facing the fire again smirking. "Finally, after ten thousand years of searching, I've found you, princess. This time...you won't escape me," he said.

* * *

Up near the rooftops, there was a flying black cat-like creature with small wings sprouting out of his back searching for someone. His name was Kiyomichi and he had a small star symbol on his forehead and a white spot on his belly. Closing his eyes, a glowing aura surrounded his body and he tried to see if he could pick up any pure energy. Sighing again when he couldn't detect anything, he suddenly heard a roar from above and looked up to see his lioness friend coming back to where he was sitting. Her name was Shirabe and she had the power of lightning.

Landing on the roof, Kiyomichi floated over to her. "Anything Shirabe?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, I haven't been able to pick up anything."

Kiyomichi sighed and crossed his little arms sitting in a thinking position while floating in mid air. "I really wish that I could transform, then I would be able to help you."

"It's alright, you have to wait until all of you powers have completely returned."

"I know, but I feel like we're running out of time. If we don't find the princess, then Gyousei will take over this world just as he did to ours."

"You must not give up hope Kiyomichi, we will find her." she said.

Just then, they both heard screams coming from down below and found shadow demons floating around destroying everything. They were black beings with creepy, yellow eyes. Looking at each other, Kiyomichi and Shirabe had looks of worry on their faces.

"There's no time to waist Shirabe, we have to move now." With that said, they both split up to take care of the demons all the while trying to find their princess.

* * *

The school bell rang indicating that class was over for the day and Atem and the others were on their way out the door. As they were about to step out the door, Tea had to stop causing everyone else to stop too.

"What's up Tea?" asked Joey.

"Uh, I left something important in my locker. You guys wait outside and I'll be there in a minute." she said. They all nodded and walked outside while Tea went back to her locker.

Coming out in the afternoon air, they sighed in relief of being out the building. "Man, I thought this day would never end." said Tristan.

"Tell me about it. I saw so many symbols and numbers today in math class, I thought I was going to go crazy." said Joey.

As they were waiting for Tea to come out, the guys heard people screaming in the distance. From where they were standing, they could see shadow creatures destroying buildings. Running to the commotion, they gasped at the many evil shadows flying around like they were looking for something.

"What are those things?" screamed Joey.

"Are they Duel Monsters?" yelled Yugi.

"I'm not sure. I've never seen these creatures before!" Atem said. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out his trusty duel disk and his cards to summon a monster from his deck.

"I summon Dark Magician!" Placing the card out, the Dark Magician appeared in attack position waiting for his command.

"Dark Magic Attack!" The Dark Magician raised his wand and attack the shadow creatures causing them to disappear. But more shadows appeared in his place.

Joey took out his duel disk and cards to help out Atem. "Hang on bud, I'll help ya out. I summon Red Eyes Black Dragon." Joey placed his card out on the duel disk and out appeared his furocious dragon waiting for his command.

"Molten Fire Blast!" Red Eyes blasted his attack at the creatures also and a few of them dissolved. More of them reappeared back in their place and it was getting harder for them to take down. So Yugi took his duel disk out to help out also.

"I summon Silent Magician!" Placing his card down, his magician appeared waiting for his command. Calling out his attack name, the Silent Magician attacked a few of the shadows as well. It was like when they attacked one shadow, two more appeared in its place.

"There's too many of them!" said Tristan.

"Man, this is getting ridiculous!" said Joey.

"I wonder who is responsible for this!" said Atem.

"That would be us."

Atem, Yugi, Joey and Tristan all turned to three cloaked figures coming out of a dark portal. They took of their hoods to reveal their faces. One was a guy with long, jet black hair down his shoulders and icy blue eyes. The second was a girl with dark red hair pulled into a ponytail with red eyes. The third figure was another guy with short silver hair with gray eyes.

"Those puny little monsters aren't going to do anything to our shadow demons," said the black haired guy.

"Shadow demons?" said Yugi.

"Who are you? Tell us the reason why you're terrorizing the city with theses creatures!" said Atem.

"Mm, the spiky haired guy with the intimidating eyes looks really cute," said the red haired girl.

The silver haired guy took a bow to them all. "Allow us to introduce ourselves, my name is Jouta."

The black haired guy also gave a bow. "My name is Nagaharu."

The red haired girl just stood in her place while keeping her gaze on Atem. "And I'm Kiyori."

"Look, cut the introduction ya freaks and tell us what ya want!" yelled Joey.

"Very well, we are here to find a certain someone in particular. When you tell us where this person is,_ maybe _we'll spare your lives after our master takes over this world," said Jouta.

"Oh great, another guy who wants to take over the world," said Tristan.

Atem stepped forward in front of everyone. "If you're looking for me, then here I am. Just leave my friends and everyone else out of this."

"As much as I would love for it to be you, handsome, it's not. We're actually looking for the princess, our master has special plans for her," said Kiyori.

A shadow demon suddenly came over to the three of them and whispered something in Nagaharu's ear. "Hmm, you've found her? Show us the way. Sorry for cutting our little time short, but duty calls."

Just then, they wrapped their cloaks around themselves and disappeared. Atem, Yugi, Joey and Tristan still stood in their place.

"Well, it looks like you're off the hook Atem. There's actually evil goons who aren't looking for you this time," said Joey.

Atem was silent for a second and his eyes widened when he saw the creatures know as shadow creatures traveling to the school.

"No, Tea! She's in danger, we have to get to her!" he said. Automatically, the four of them ran over to the school where they left Tea.

* * *

Tea came outside after finding the book she was looking for out of her locker. But when she stepped outside, Atem and the others were nowhere to be seen. Confused as to why she couldn't find them, she started calling out their names.

"Guys, guys where are you?" Not getting any answer, she started to walk around in hopes of finding them.

_'I told them I was coming back out, so where did they disappear to? This is getting strange. I'm already feeling like there's some presence around here, now my friends are gone.'_

Walking around the school, she was stopped when a shadow creature stopped in front of her. Startling her, she turned to run around the other way, but there was another one behind her. Before she knew what was going on, she was surrounded by these creatures. When she took a step back, they stepped forward until they had her pressed against the wall. They came closer and closer to Tea until something unexpected happened.

"NO, GET AWAY!" Tea swung her hand out and a pink energy orb came flying out of her hand. The orb was so powerful that it caused half of the shadows to crumble and disappear for good.

Atem, Yugi, Tristan and Joey had alomst arrived at the school and following the shadow demons. Suddenly, there was a pink light coming from where the shadows disappeared to.

"What was that?" asked Yugi.

"I don't know...let us move, quickly," Atem said. They all rushed to where the pink flash was located all hoping that Tea was alright.

* * *

Kiyomichi was flying around as he was destroying a few of the shadow demons with the power that he stored up. As he was flying, he felt a strong, pure energy coming from down below. Looking down, he found that it was a pink light shining and knew he found who he was looking for. Giving a smile, he flew down where more shadow demons were located and floated over to Tea landing on her shoulder.

"It's you! I finally found you, princess!" he said while jumping from one side of her shoulder to the other.

Tea was startled when a little cat landed on her from out of nowhere. "W-who are you?" she asked. Just then, more shadow demons began to move towards them again. This time, Tea was completely surrounded without any way of escaping.

"There's no time to explain, you have to use your powers again," Kiyomichi said.

Tea looked down at the creature like it had three heads. "You're crazy! I don't have any powers," she said.

"Focus your energy and you can make your powers appear again like you did just now," he said.

Tea just stood there not knowing what to do and the shadows were preparing to attack her. Just when they were about to strike, a bolt of lighting appeared and fired five of the shadows and making them disappear. Coming from out of the sky, Tea saw a golden colored lioness land in front of her.

"Kiyomichi, are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, in fact I'm better than okay Shirabe. Look who I just found."

She looked over to Tea and her eyes widened in excitement and relief. "Princess?" she whispered.

Tea shook her head rapidly. "Okay, why is it that you two are calling me princess? I'm not who you think I am," she said trying to make them understand.

"Tea!" Tea turned her head and saw Atem and the others running towards her.

"Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" asked Atem.

"No, I'm fine."

Kiyomichi landed back on Tea's shoulder again. "Princess, you have to use your powers now. It's the only way to destroy these shadow demons," he said.

Atem, Yugi, Joey and Tristan just now noticed that there was a lioness attacking with lighting and a talking little cat on Tea's shoulder.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not a princess and I don't have any powers. Now, I'm sorry that I can't help you and your friend, but I'm not the one you're looking for," she said.

"Yes, you are! Look, you've already proved it by releasing your power," he said.

"What is he talking about Tea?" asked Yugi.

"I have no idea. This guy just landed on me and started talking crazy."

"Listen, just find the power deep inside you and focus on your energy. I know you can do it."Kiyomichi replied, looking at Tea with truthful eyes.

Tea was shaking and she didn't know what to do. Looking around, she noticed that the lioness that saved her was starting to get tired and weaker. Giving out one last attack, she was thrown on her side struggling to get up. There was no protection and they were wide open for an attack.

Tea felt a strange fire inside of her, trying to travel up so it could be let out. The demons attacked with black magic and it was aiming straight for her and her friends. Not wanting to see anyone hurt, she stood in front of all of them.

"STOP IT!" she screamed. Tea raised her hands and out came a huge ball of energy and it hit all of the shadow demons, drowning them all in a wave of pink light that shined so brightly that Atem and the others had to cover their eyes.

The demons were broken up and dissolved into nothingness. When the bright light disappeared, there was no sign of anymore demons. They all uncovered their eyes and saw Tea still standing in front of them with her hands out. She couldn't believe what just happened and brought her hands to look at them still trying to figure out how she did it. Her vision began to get blurry and before she knew what was happening, she felt her body start to sway as her mind welcomed the darkness.

Atem saw that Tea was about to collapse and ran to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Tea, are you alright?" he asked while trying to shake her awake. Yugi, Joey and Tristan came over to check on her as well.

"Dude, who knew that Tea could do that?" asked Tristan.

"Not me, but that was just awesome," said Joey.

"Maybe, those two can explain it," said Yugi and the others turned to watch the lioness and the flying cat coming over to them.

"You're all probably wondering what is happening. Well, we'll be able to tell you everything. Is there a place where we can go?" asked Kiyomichi. They all turned to each other and then nodded. Picking up Tea in his arms, Atem gazed down at her with a look of worry as they all walked to the Game Shop.

* * *

Standing on the rooftop, the three cloaked figures looked down as Atem and the others were walking away from the school.

"Well, looks like the princess used her powers to take out the shadows. This is going to be more difficult than I had originally thought, now that she has Kiyomichi and Shirabe guiding her," said Jouta.

"Don't worry so much, we'll get them soon. The master will have his reign on the world like he was suppose to have ten thousand years ago," said Nagaharu.

"Besides, she just found out about those dreaded powers. By the time she learns to control them, it'll be too late. There's nothing they can do to stop us," said Kiyori.

"True, we better go and report to Lord Gyousei," said Jouta. With that, they opened the dark portal and traveled inside disappearing without a trace.

* * *

**Well that's the first chapter, I hope you like it and I'll have the next chapter up soon.  
**


	2. Questions and Answers

**Hey readers, thanks to those who reviewed my last chapter. Here's the next chapter and thanks for waiting patiently:**

**dancers of the night**

**Celeste5502**

**yamiviva**

**luckygirl777**

**fantasia-49**

**Newyork angel**

**Cheating Death**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!**

**Summary: In another world thousands of years ago, there lived mystical creatures who lived peacefully, that was until a dark evil presence threaten to take over. He almost succeeded until he was stopped by a beautiful princess who saved the creatures from his evil wrath. Now 10,000 years later into the present time, he has come to finish what he started and also get revenge on the one who stopped him.**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

_'Where am i?'_

_All around, there was nothing but everlasting darkness. She could hardly see her hands in front of her face. She walked and tried to figure out if there was anything that would help her find out where she was. _

_Suddenly, out of nowhere, there was a dim light ahead. As she was squinting her eyes, she could see there was a figure standing in the distance. From the way the person looked, she could tell that it was a female. She was turning towards her, but wasn't able to see her face clearly. Making it very hard to tell who it was.  
_

_'Who are you?' she asked. _

_The unknown figure just lifted her hand. Just like that, there was a huge gust of wind blowing in her direction and she desperately tried to hold her balance while trying to catch a glimpse of the figure. Then, the form started to disappear and her eyes began to get blurry. The last thing she thought she saw though was the figure's warm gentle smile before everything turned black._

* * *

Tea groaned as she slowly opened her eyes, waiting for her dull vision to clear up. She noticed that the room she was in wasn't hers, but it was familiar to her. Looking around, she realized that she was in Atem's room.

When they all came back from Egypt after the duel, he and Yugi were sharing a room for the time being. A month later, they all surprised Atem with a room to call his very own. He was deeply touched for what they did for him, making him feel like he was really apart of the gang. Atem's room was like him, mysterious. He had a black wood polished desk near the window and the walls were customized with Egyptian hieroglyphics. The bed where Tea was laying had a black blanket and dark blue pillows that she was resting her head on.

Tea tried to remember how it was she got here in the first place, but her mind was a complete blank. It wasn't until thoughts from this afternoon came rushing back into her head. Walking out of school with Atem and the others, going back to get her book, and coming back out to find her friends gone. Then, trying to search for them, only to find weird shadow monsters instead.

A dim light when she closed her eyes, a talking cat floating down on her shoulder, a lioness shooting thunderbolts, her friends showing up, then standing in front of them to protect as a pink ball of energy came shooting out of her hands and then after that, nothing.

Wait...she backed up a little, a talking cat? A lioness shooting thunderbolts? Not to mention her shooting pink energy orbs?

_'It had to have been a dream. There's no way that could have happened. But then again, this kind of thing happened all the time when Atem was saving the world. No, it was a dream. I can shoot energy orbs from my hands. Yeah, that's it. I probably fainted from working so hard and the guys just took me back here to the Game Shop to rest. Right, there was nothing weird going on.'_ she thought.

"So you finally woke up, took you long enough."

Tea's eyes widened as she heard the same voice she heard earlier and turned to find the same talking cat floating next to her. All she did was stare at him...just staring...and staring so more until finally...

She screamed.

The door flew open and Atem, Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Grandpa came rushing inside to find Tea moving away from the floating cat. Tea also noticed the lioness that saved her coming inside, too.

"Tea, are you okay?" asked Atem.

"I'm fine...but I guess it wasn't a dream," she said as she looked at the talking, flying cat-like creature and the the lioness.

"There's no need to feel frighten princess, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kiyomichi, but you can call me Kiyo for short," he said while landing on Tea's shoulder.

"And I am Shirabe princess. It is an honor being in your prescence again," the lioness said while bowing to her. Tea was about to say something to her, but was stopped when Joey had his angry yell.

"OKAY, THAT'S IT! You guys are going to tell us what's going on right now! Both of you have been quiet ever since we got here. So, you said once Tea was awake, you would explain yourselves," he said.

"Joey, calm down and they will. We all want to know just as much as you do, Tea more than anyone else." Tristan said as he gestured for Joey to look over at Tea's shocked face. Joey decided to keep quiet...for now anyway.

"How about we all go downstairs so we can find out more of this? I have snacks set out for everyone," Grandpa said.

All of a sudden, Kiyomichi snapped his head in Grandpa's direction when he heard the mention of food. "Alright, finally some food! I'm starving, hey are you coming, princess?" he asked.

Tea was still standing and she haven't said one word during the whole conversation. Atem noticed how frantic she looked and turned to the others.

"Uh, Tea and I will meet you all in a moment," he said. Yugi and the others all nodded as they walked out the room. Kiyomichi flew back to Tea.

"Don't take long, we'll save some for you." Kiyomichi then flew out the room chanting the word food over and over again.

Shirabe shook her head and then turned her attention to Atem and Tea. "Please excuse his behavior, princess. It's been a while since he had anything to eat. We will be waiting for your arrival." she said as she bowed to both her and Atem then walking out of the room also.

Tea, as slowly as she could, sat down on the bed. Atem sat down next to her and took her hand on his. Tea's face blushed when she felt his hand in hers. "You all right?" he asked.

Tea didn't answer him right away, but did after a minute passed. "I don't know. I'm not even sure what I should be feeling right now. There are so many questions running through my head now on what's going on with me, how I was able to do what I did earlier. Never once in my life did I ever imagine of having any powers, it's really scary," Tea said.

Atem kept watching her with a soft look and slowly brought her into his arms which made Tea blush even more. "Don't think that you have to go through this alone. We are all here for you Tea. Just like you were there for me when I had to save the world, I'm going to be there for you the same way. We'll find out the answers together," he said.

Tea was deeply touched from Atem's words and she wrapped her arms around his waist to return his embrace. "Thank-you Atem, that means alot to me knowing that you and everyone else are with me."

Atem pulled back to look at her, but he still kept his arms around her. "You're welcome. Oh, while you were sleeping, I went to your house and picked up a change of clothes for you." he said as he pointed to her clothes sitting on a chair near the window.

Tea smiled and turned to Atem. "Thanks, I really need to get out of this uniform," she said.

Atem chuckled and then stood up from the bed.

"I'll give you some privacy," he said.

Tea nodded while giving him another heart felt smile. Atem returned the smile and then walked out the room, giving her time to change out of her clothes. Tea went over to the chair and lifted her black shirt with a pink heart decorated on the front and a pair of sporty pants that had pink stripes on the side of each pants leg.

This was her favorite thing to wear, it was like Atem could read her mind. She hugged them close to her chest.

Once she was changed, she folded her uniform and placed them on the on the same chair by the window. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and walked downstairs.

* * *

"Oh wow, this looks so good!" said Kiyomichi as he stuffed a cookie into his mouth and ate it. Shirabe sighed and shook her head seeing how his manners were still poor ever since she's known him.

"Ah, they have those onigiris I heard so much about. I have to try them!" Kiyomichi flew over and picked up the rice ball giving a big bite. Atem, Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Grandpa were all staring at the little cat in amazement wondering how he could eat so much.

"Man, that little guy sure can eat," said Joey.

"Yeah, I think you and Tristan might have some competition, Joey," said Yugi.

They all broke their gaze away from him for a moment as they heard Tea coming down to join them in the living room. She sat down next to Atem and looked over to see the lioness she knew now as Shirabe bowing to her.

"I'm glad that you have joined us, princess." Shirabe turned to Kiyomichi who was still busy stuffing his mouth with food. Giving him a slight glare, she pointed her tail and zapped a lighting bolt to him making him drop his rice ball. Kiyomichi turned to cast a glare of his own at Shirabe.

"Hey, what did you do that for?" he yelled. Shirabe rolled her eyes.

"Apparently, you have not noticed that our princess has shown up," she said as she gestured him to turn around. When he did, he gave a cheeky grin and placed a hand behind his head in embarrassment.

"Sorry about that. Glad you came down, princess," he said. Tea nodded, but was still confused from the whole situation.

"I know that you have alot of questions princess and we are happy to answer them all for you," said Shirabe.

"I do actually, it's still all confusing to me. First of which, why are constantly calling me 'princess'? Also, where did you guys come from?" Tea said.

Shirabe and Kiyomichi each turned to look each other and then turned back to Tea.

"We'll start from the beginning. First of which, we come from a different world filled with mystical creatures that have enchanted powers like we do," said Kiyomichi.

"A different world? So those shadow creatures from earlier, are they from your world, too?" asked Atem. Both Kiyomichi and Shirabe shook their heads.

"No, those creatures are called Shadow Demon. They come from a world filled with evil and darkness. They have no minds, no souls and no hearts. They're just empty shells that live off of energy to feed their powers. If they have too much of it, they are unstoppable. Only pure energy, like our princess bares, can destroy them permanently," Shirabe explained. Everyone had wide eyes after hearing this.

"So, what are they after?" asked Yugi.

"They are after our princess," she said. Atem gazed over to Tea to see her slightly shaking from the whole conversation so far. He placed his hand over hers to give comfort to her.

"Why Tea? What would they want with her?" asked Tristan.

"Well, it happened long ago. Ten thousand years ago, in fact. Our world was very peaceful and serene, there was nothing to worry about. Everyone was nice and friendly, but all of that changed when an evil sorcerer came along and threaten to take over our world. See, since our world was full of magic, it was protected by power called the Orb of Light. The orb is what kept our world balanced. The evil sorcerer, Lord Gyousei, took the orb and everything turned to darkness. Some of our friends have been destroyed...others were captured. There were even a few that have been turned into Shadow Demons." Kiyomichi said with a far away look.

"That's terrible...you must have been through so much," said Tea. Shirabe nodded.

"It was horrible, our world has been through catastrophic events. There have been earthquakes and eruptions. Darkness flooded the skies, the waters and even the lands. All was lost, until there was a glimmer of hope that was brought upon the world. Princess Anzu was the one who saved us all. Kiyomichi and I, as her loyal companions, helped to defeat Gyousei. The battle was long and hard, we were low on energy and we thought that our side had lost. Our princess, however, wouldn't give up. So, she used the last of her powers to bring peace back to our world. She sacrificed herself to destroy him and the Orb of Light returned to it's rightful place. We had thought Gyousei was gone because he disappeared in the blast, but we had come to find out that over the years, he survived and has set out to find our princess. To seek his revenge on her. So, when Kiyomichi and I found out that our princess was reincarnated, we traveled through dimension after dimension in order to find her," Shirabe said.

"Finally, our search was over when I felt your pure energy. It was a good thing that we did before any harm was brought upon you, princess," Kiyomichi said.

Everyone was processing the information in their heads.

"So what you're saying is that your Princess Anzu...is Tea reborn?" asked Yugi.

"Yes...and he is also planning to take over your world like he tried to do to ours," Shirabe replied.

Joey growled and started pulling his hair. "Oh great, another psychopathic freak that wants to take over the world. Haven't we been through enough?" Kiyomichi and Shirabe turned to Joey when he said that.

"You mean this isn't the first time you guys have went through this?" asked Kiyomichi. They all shook their heads.

"No, we've been through this sort of thing before. There has been evil beings and spirits that would try to take over the world and steal the power of the pharaoh, who's sitting right here," said Yugi as he pointed to Atem.

"Yes, I have heard about the pharaoh who had saved the world 5,000 years ago. I haven't realized that you were sitting in our presence, my pharaoh," Shirabe said as she bowed to him.

Kiyomichi flew in front of Atem to get a better look at him. "I knew you looked familiar. You're the one that has the power of the Millennium Puzzle, right?" he said. Shirabe made a lion's growl and zapped Kiyomichi again turning him into a floating, burned cat.

Shaking it off, he flew over to Shirabe and glared again. "Why do you keep zapping me, Shirabe?" he yelled.

"You need to learn some manners. Show some respect for the pharaoh!" she yelled back.

Atem held up his hands. "Please, there is no need for the formalities, but there is something else that we still need to know about. There were three cloaked figures from earlier that were controlling these Shadow Demons you were talking about. Who exactly are they?" he asked. Shirabe sighed before she answered.

"Those are a few of Gyousei's henchmen. They are like the Shadow Demons, they also have no souls or hearts, but they do have minds and that's what makes them dangerous. They have the powers of the elements; Nagaharu controls the power of water, he can create floods and turn it to ice to use as deadly weapons. Kiyori has the power of fire. With just the touch of her hand, she can burn everything around her. Jouta, the leader of the three, has the power of the wind. He can create as many cyclones as possible and no one has ever survived them," she said.

Tea stood up from her seat. "If you say that they are dangerous, then how can I stop them? I may be Princess Anzu reborn as you say, but I can't do what she did. I don't have the strong powers that she had before!" Tea said, but when she threw her hand down at her side, a pink energy orb glowed around it making her and everyone else startle.

"Amazing," said Grandpa.

Kiyomichi floated on Tea's shoulder. "No, your powers aren't strong now, but they can be once you control them. You're more powerful than you realize, princess, and Shirabe and I are here to help you. First, we'll have to make you get used to them. I need everyone except the princess to please stand and step back."

They all looked confused at first, but did what was said and backed up leaving Tea standing where she is. Kiyomichi and Shirabe stood in front of her and closed their eyes. Suddenly, the whole room glowed a bright light and in front of Tea, there was a magical scepter that had a giant pink orb with a small gold star on the very top and the handle was black with a smaller pink orb on the bottom glowing in front of her.

"Step forward, princess and claim the magical scepter," said Kiyomichi. Tea stood for a second and then slowly walked over to reach out to the scepter. Suddenly though, there was a huge powerful force that was trying to push her away from it.

"This is a part of the test princess. You have to fight the force in order to claim your scepter! We know you have the power!" Shirabe yelled through the wind.

Tea was struggling to keep going, but it was too much on her. She suddenly glanced over at the others and saw their encouraging faces, especially Atem who called out to her.

"Don't give up Tea, you can do it!" It was like a new strength flowed through her and Tea was able to move on forward fighting the force. She held out her hand once she was getting closer.

_'Just a little more, I can do this.'_

Then, she grabbed the scepter and the whole room shined much more brighter that everyone shielded their eyes until the light disappeared. The room was back to normal, except the only difference was that Tea was holding a magical scepter. She was breathing heavily from the whole experience and it caused her to slightly lose her balance. Atem rushed over to catch her and ease her down on the floor. He moved a strand of hair from her face while Tea looked up at him with a tired smile. She lifted her hand and showed the others her scepter.

"I did it," she tiredly replied.

Everyone smiled and nodded. "We knew you could Tea," said Yugi.

"Well, I knew you could do it before anyone else," said Joey.

Tristan scoffed at Joey's comment. "You were scared as soon as the room started glowing."

Joey then pushed him to the floor and started wrestling with him which made Yugi and Grandpa stand up and break the both of them up. Atem wasn't paying attention to the fight because he was still staring at Tea.

"Are you al; right?" he asked.

Tea smiled and nodded. "I'm a bit unbalanced, but I'll be okay."

Shirabe and Kiyomichi came over to her. "See princess, you _do _have what it takes. Shirabe and I will be helping you with controlling your powers," Kiyomichi said.

There was a sound coming from outside and it made everyone look to the door. Standing up, they all went outside to see more of the Shadow Demons roaming around the skies.

"Where did these freaks come from? I thought they were all defeated!" said Joey.

"There will be times where Gyousei will send more in the place of the ones that were destroyed," Shirabe said as she shot a few of them with her lightning powers making them dissolve.

"Come on, princess, time to use your magic," said Kiyomichi. Tea nodded and tried to concentrate on her powers. Her hand glowed slightly and she shot her energy orb at three of the demons.

"Great job, just keep at it," he said.

Tea tried again and this time, her energy orb glowed a little more brighter and shot five of the demons this time making them disappear. Atem and the others were standing on the sidelines completely helpless. Atem wanted to so much to help Tea, but his cards didn't have the power to beat the demons.

"I wish there was something we can do. Tea can't do this alone."

Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Grandpa all nodded. Kiyomichi saw this and flew over to all of them.

"So you want to help the princess?" he asked.

"Yeah, but what can we do? All we have are our cards and they can't stop them," said Joey.

"Hold out your cards and I'll handle the rest," he said. Looking confused for a second, they all held out their cards to Kiyomichi. He floated to them one at a time and dropped tiny, glowing orbs on the cards. They glowed for a few seconds and sparkled with magical energy.

"Now your monsters have the ablilty to destroy the Shadow Demons. Each of them have the same energy as the princess. They should be able to take them out in one shot."

"Alright, I summon Red Eyes Black Dragon!" said Joey said.

"Super Roboyarou, come on out!" Tristan said.

"Silent Magician, I summon you!" Yugi said.

"I summon Dark Magician!" Atem said. All of their monsters were summoned and were now waiting on their commands.

"ATTACK!" they ordered. Getting into attack position, the monsters all took on a number of demons to attack. Tea was still getting the hang of her powers as she started shooting more of her energy orbs from her hands. She wasn't looking behind her, however. One of the Shadow Demons snuck up to her and prepared to claw her. That is until Atem saw what was happening and called on his magician.

"Dark Magician, quick use Dark Magic Attack!" The Dark Magician turned to his master and quickly held up his staff to attack the demon behind Tea before it could attack her. Atem ran over to Tea checking on her.

"You okay?" he asked, making sure she wasn't harmed.

"Yeah, thanks I didn't see that thing behind me."

Everyone gathered around as more of the demons started to surround them. Shirabe turned to Tea after she attack of few more.

"Princess, your scepter can also be used to finish them."

Kiyomichi cast a few energy orbs himself before flying over to Tea. "That's right, princess. Just concentrate and your scepter will react to your pure energy."

Tea held up her scepter and stared at it. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Atem giving her a reassuring look.

"We're all right here for you," he whispered.

Tea then gave him a determined look and then stood in front of everyone. Twirling the scepter in her hand, she raised it above her head.

_'Princess Anzu, if I really am your reincarnation, please give me the strength to defeat these demons.' _It was like someone answered her thoughts because the pink orb on the scepter started to glow and Tea was now ready to attack.

"Crystal Storm!" she yelled out. The scepter shot out millions of tiny pink crystals. They were small, but very powerful. The Shadow Demons were engulfed by the crystals and they all exploded as soon as they touched them. Everything glowed as the crystals attacked the shadows and making them dissolve. Once the crystals were gone, there were no signs of anymore the demons. Calling their monsters back into the cards, the guys walked over to Tea seeing her staring at her magic ceptor in amazement.

"Awesome Tea, you did it!" said Joey.

"How did you know what to do to make the scepter work?" asked Yugi.

Tea shrugged. "I don't know, it's like the words just came to me," she said.

"You were wonderful, Tea. It's only a matter of time before you're able to control your abilities," said Atem while placing his hand on her shoulder. Tea blushed at this and smiled.

"Thanks Atem, and thank-you guys for helping me out."

"I'm glad those demons are gone, is everyone alright?" asked Grandpa. They all nodded. Kiyomichi and Shirabe both walked over to Tea.

"You did an amazing job, princess. You're starting to get the hang of your powers now," said Shirabe.

"Once you have your powers under control, you'll be ready for when the time comes for us to defeat Gyousei," Kiyomichi said.

"I hope you're right. Oh...and please, call me Tea."

Both of them smiled and nodded. "Okay, Tea," they both said in unison. Everyone then went back inside the Game Shop to continue talking about what there was to come.

* * *

"Lord Gyousei, the Shadow Demons that we've sent to that world have been destroyed. What do you want us to do now my lord?" asked Jouta.

Gyousei was facing the green fire as he was trying to absorb more of the energy to make him stronger. None of the energy was enough for him.

"We will just have to make it much more harder on our princess, won't we?. One of you will go down along with the Shadow Demons and take care of the situation," he said.

Kiyori then stepped forward and bowed in front of Gyousei. "Allow me to take care of her, my lord. I promise you that I will have her and her energy drained for you," she said in confidence.

Gyousei was still facing the fire not saying anything, but decided to give his official approval. "Very well Kiyori, I will have you take care of this. Now, all of you leave while I resume my ritual," he said.

They all nodded and wrapped their cloaks around them to disappear.

Gyousei had a smirk on his face as he kept his gaze on the souls he had sacrificed. "You will be mine very soon, Princess Anzu," he said and then let out an evil chuckle.


	3. New Abilities

**Hi readers, I am so sorry for taking so long to update. I know you guys are mad at me and I don't blame you if you are. I'm going to be getting my chapters up much more sooner than I did. Here's the next chapter and thanks to everyone who reviewed and waited so patiently:**

**Cheating Death**

**dancers of the night**

**takerschick**

**LadyAquarius77**

**Celeste5502**

**Daishirokiba**

**Koragirl**

**mellymel.2010**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or the song "My Sweetheart" from the anime Tokyo Mew Mew.**

**Summary: In another world thousands of years ago, there lived mystical creatures who lived peacefully, that was until a dark evil presence threatened to take over. He almost succeeded until he was stopped by a beautiful princess who saved the creatures from his evil wrath. Now 10,000 years later into the present time, he has come to finish what he started and also get revenge on the one who stopped him.**

**Chapter 3**

Coming back inside after the fight with the Shadow Demons, they all sighed in relief knowing that the demons were gone for the moment. Still, there wasn't anytime for relaxing because there was no telling what could happen next or what Lord Gyousei was planning.

"Looks like we kicked Shadow Demon butt!" said Joey pumping his fist into the air.

"Yeah, they didn't even stand a chance against us, I can defeat them in my sleep." Tristan said as he joined in on Joey's outburst. Walking back into the living room, the gang sat down. Shirabe walked over and faced them all as they took their seats and Kiyomichi flew over to land on Tea's shoulder. Shirabe looked up with a serious expression on her face.

"I'm not sure why they came here, but I have a feeling that the Shadow Demons must have sensed Tea's pure energy and tracked her down. We can't think about celebrating because Lord Gyousei is still planning his revenge. I think that he sent the demons to find out just how strong Tea's energy really is. Princess, you are now starting to get used to your powers, but we have to help you to control it better." she explained.

"Shirabe's right, you may not realize it, but you have special abilities that haven't been unlocked yet. You use your powers for attacking, but we need to help you to control them in defense as well." Kiyomichi said. Tea nodded.

"Alright, so where do we start?" she asked.

"Well, we should start with your scepter first." Shirabe answered. Everyone was a little confused by Shirabe's suggestion.

"Why Tea's scepter?" asked Atem.

"She should always have it on her at all times so Tea can use her energy to turn the scepter into an item where won't draw attention to other humans. It would be dangerous to have the scepter in the wrong hands." she said. All of them nodded in agreement, especially Atem and he clutched on to his Millenium Puzzle thinking about all the times when others threatened to steal it and his power away from him. Kiyomichi turned to Tea with a smile.

"Whenever you're ready, you can start Tea." he said. Giving a nod to him, Tea lifted her scepter and closed her eyes as she concentrated on her energy. Just then, the scepter glowed a pure pink color and levitated in the air in front of her. Magically, it spun around until it turned into a miniature version of the scepter and floated over to Tea until it was clasped around her neck. The glow then faded away now letting everyone see the new transformation of Tea's scepter. Opening her eyes, Tea felt a wave of dizziness rush through her and almost fell had it not been for Atem catching her in time. He allowed Tea to rest her head on his shoulder while checking to see if she was alright.

"You okay?" he asked gently. Tea nodded and blushed a little while giving him a weak, but reassuring smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she said. Yugi turned to Shirabe with a question for her.

"Is Tea going to feel weak everytime she uses her magic?" he asked. Shirabe smiled and gently shook her head.

"No, Tea's only experiencing this because she's still getting used to her powers. Once she is able to have control over them, Tea won't feel as weak and drained as she is right now. The princess will be fine once she discovers her new abilities and concentrate on making them stronger." she said. Tea turned her head slightly in the direction of Shirabe with Kiyomichi now settling in her lap.

"What are these abilities that I need to control?" she asked. Both Kiyomichi and Shirabe looked at eachother before turning to Tea shaking their heads.

"Sorry Tea, but we're not sure of that ourselves. You could have the same abilities as Princess Anzu once had or you could have developed something new that neither Shirabe nor I have ever seen before. This is something that you must discover on your own, but we will be here to help you all the way." Kiyomchi said. Tea looked around the room and saw everyone nodding agreeing to Kiyo's comment. Tea smiled nodding back to them all, but she passed out from exhaustion making everyone concerned. Atem shook Tea to try and get a response her.

"Tea, wake up. Are you alright?" he asked worried. Kiyomichi flew back up on Tea's shoulder to check her out and sighed in relief.

"Don't worry she's fine, Tea just needs time to rest and regain her energy back." he said. Atem looked down still worried for her ad he moved a strand of her hair away from her eyes. He looked over to the others who had the same worry expressions as he did.

"I think it's best if Tea stays here for the night. We're not sure if those Shadow Demons are going to come back again and find her again, so if they do we can use our monsters to defeat them." he said.

"That's a great idea Atem, it's too dangerous for her to be alone. Shirabe and Kiyomichi, I know you guys can protect her as well, but you guys are kind of low on your energy to do any battling. We don't want you two to be drained anymore than you already are." Yugi said.

"Thank you, we could use all the help we can get. It's good to know that Tea has great friends that are with her like you all are." she said bowing to all of them.

"It's nothing, we do this sort of thing all of the time. Saving the world from evil jerks is like a walk in the park for us." Joey said in a boasting confident voice. Tristan scoffed.

"Yeah, when we're not being threaten with our lives by some crazy psychopath." he said. Joey then deflated his confident boost when Tristan said that and sighed.

"I know, no good jerks." he muttered angrily while folding his arms. Everyone laughed at Joey's change of mood. Grandpa stood up from his seat next to Yugi and turned to everyone.

"I'll go and make something for you all. I'm sure you must be hungry." he said. Soon as that left his mouth, Kiyomichi flew over to Grandpa with stars in his eyes along with Joey and Tristan who were drooling from their mouths.

"WE'RE STARVING!!" all three of them said. Grandpa and the others sweat-dropped from the scene witnessing in front of them. Shirabe shook her head and laid down as she watched Atem stare at Tea hardly even paying attention to the others in the room. She smiled softly at the way he held and took care of her. Making her see that they have a close bond. Atem stood and carefully lifted Tea into her arms to take her upstairs but he turned to the others letting them know where he was going.

"I'm going to lay Tea down in my room, I'll be back down soon." he said.

"Okay Atem." they all said as Grandpa went in the kitchen with Joey, Tristan and Kiyomichi following behind him with Yugi shaking his head and decided to follow in order to protect Grandpa from them. As Atem started going up, he felt a slight nudge on his leg and looked next him to see Shirabe at his side.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but is it alright if I were to assist you of taking care of Tea?" she asked politely. Atem blinked a few times before smiling and nodding to her.

"Of course you can." he said. So the both of them went up the stairs into Atem's room. He walked over to his bed and placed Tea gently down covering her up with his blankets. He had her tucked in, but he just couldn't take his eyes off of her. It was like he could just sit and watch her for hours and hours and still be amazed by her beauty. Not realizing that he had company inside watching him.

"I see you harbor an affection for the princess." Atem was startled out of his gaze on Tea and turned to Shirabe completely forgetting that she was in the room with him. He turned back to Tea with a slight blush on his face.

"I do care about her, very much in fact." he said. Shirabe moved closer until she was sitting next to Atem watching Tea also. She then turned to look at Atem who was still busy looking at Tea.

"You love her as well, I can see it clearly." she said. Atem gasped and snapped his gaze to her.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, Tea is my friend." he said.

"Please do not deny your feelings my pharaoh, I can see the way you watch her. Your eyes have a special glint in them whenever you look at Tea. It's not any look you have for anyone else but her. She's very lucky to have you and it's sweet knowing there is someone beside you who would do anything to protect you." she said giving him a smile. Atem still had his blush and then turned back to Tea slowly with the same loving look he gave to her.

"I guess it's pretty obvious to the watchful eye, yes I do love her so much. It's just I don't know if she'll return my feelings, I haven't been able to express them the way I wanted to because I was afraid to really tell her how I feel about her for so many reasons. The timing wasn't right, I was trying to figure out my destiny along with saving the world from evil so many times. Tea was there with me when I first found out about my past as pharaoh. I remember that day clearly, it was the first time in my life where I didn't think about anything. No duels, no evil; it was just me and her together for that one special day. I'll always treasure those memories." Atem said smiling and keeping his eyes on Tea's sleeping face.

"Sounds like you two have been through alot, but there's a possibility that she could feel the same way as you do. Don't give up on something just for an assumption of what you're thinking is true. It may just surprise you of the real outcome, but it won't be possible unless you tell her." she said. Atem thought about the advice Shirabe gave him while still gazing at Tea and he knew she was right. So smiling at the lioness, Atem nodded.

"You're right, I won't know exactly how she feels unless I tell her. Do you really think she'll feel the same?" he asked. Shirabe let out a light laugh and nodded.

"If what you say about your time together is true, then I would have to say that Tea loves you just as much as you love her. She is my princess reborn so I would know exactly what she is feeling." she said looking at Tea. Just then, Tea let out a groan which caused Atem and Shirabe to see if she would wake, but all she did was shift in her sleep unconsciously. Shirabe looked at Atem again.

"I will leave you with Tea my pharaoh, I have to make sure that Kiyomichi isn't causing any mischief in the kitchen." she said then started walking out the room. Atem turned back to her before she left.

"Shirabe?" he said.

"Yes my pharaoh?" Atem smiled.

"Please, just call me Atem instead of pharaoh." he said. Shirabe smiled back and nodded.

"Alright Atem." she said. With that, she walked out leaving Atem alone with Tea. He placed his hand on her face loving the way her skin felt so smooth. Slowly, without waking her, he leaned down and kissed her where his hand laid gently on her face. When he pulled back, Atem saw a smile forming and it made his heart burst with joy.

_'No matter what happens Tea, I'll make sure that you're not alone in this. I'll be there for you just like you were there for me.'_

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It was around eleven at night when Tea finally opened her eyes from her three hour slumber. Blinking a few times to clear her vision, she slowly sat up in bed and noticed where she was. She was back in Atem's room again just like she was earlier and looked around noticing that Shirabe was laying by the window on the floor sleeping and Kiyomichi was laying on the window sill sleeping on his back with a round belly from his food frenzy. Tea had laughed a little when she could hear him talking in his sleep about more cookies to eat and naming the different varieties of them. Slowly without making a sound, Tea stood up from the bed to make her way downstairs. Walking through the halls, she could tell from silence that the others must be asleep. Passing by Yugi's room, Tea found him resting in bed and it was the same way with Grandpa when she passed his room. Not hearing any snores, Tea guessed that Joey and Tristan left for home already. There was still one more person that she hasn't seen yet and that was our mysterious ex-pharaoh, Atem.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Tea didn't see Atem anywhere and she wondered where he could be. She walked over to the sofa, but she didn't sit down. She didn't feel like sitting down because she was still thinking about what was told to her earlier about her powers. Lifting her hand up to her neck, Tea pulled out her small mini scepter and watched it twirl around and around part of it shining in the dim light of the moon from the night sky.

_'I wonder what other ablilties I have that's not unlocked yet. How am I suppose to find out what they are? Should I just start building up on my energy and see what comes out? Shirabe and Kiyo did say that I have to learn to control them so I guess I might as well.' _Putting her necklace back into her shirt, Tea lifted both of her hands and concentrated on her energy. Just then, there was a pink glow, but it was a little different than the energy orbs she shot out of her hands.

_'It looks like some kind of bubble.'_ she thought. In her hands was a transparent looking orb, but Tea didn't know what it did until it started getting a little bigger in her hands. Suddenly as it was getting much bigger, it popped which making Tea feel a little drained.

_'This must be one of the abilities that I have to master, I have to keep working at it to make it perfect.'_ She tried to bring out the bubble again, but it was straining her where she kept losing focus.

"Keep trying." Tea, startled from what she was doing, turned to find Atem behind her watching her. He came over to stand next to her.

"You can do it, just keep trying." he said encouraging her. Tea didn't say anything after he spoke, but she smiled and nodded going back to bringing out the bubble again. Gathering up her energy again, the pink transparent bubble reappeared again in her hands. Concentrating more, the bubble began to get much bigger where it looked like a beach ball. Her arms were outstretched as the bubble grew and grew, but Tea was strained so much that she couldn't hold on and she lost her concetration along with the bubble. Taking deep, tired breaths, Tea hunched over with her hands resting on her knees and sweat developing on her forehead. Atem lead Tea over to the sofa to sit her down. Taking a seat next to her, Atem took her hand and watched her with worried eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Tea turned to him and nodded.

"Yeah, I just feel drained. I'll be okay." she said. Atem then gave her something on a plate for her to eat and Tea realized just how hungry she was.

"I noticed you didn't really eat anything today so I figured you would want something now. It's really important that you keep your energy especially now that you have powers." he said. Tea nodded again and picked up one of the sandwiches on the plate slowly bringing it up to her mouth and eating it. When Tea was done with half of it, she put the sandwich down on the plate and placed it on the table. There was a small silence between the two of them both trying to figure out how to start a conversation. Finally, Atem managed to think of a subject to start off with.

"So, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm feeling much better, some of my energy is returning to me now. How come I'm still here? I don't exactly remember falling asleep." she said.

"Well after you used your energy to change your scepter, you passed out and I took you to lay down." he said.

"I'm sorry, you must be getting tired of me taking over your room." Atem chuckled and shook his head.

"No, it's fine. You needed it much more than I did, I wasn't able to sleep anyway. Plus you're here because we didn't want those demons coming back after you again now that you were drained from your energy. So having you here with us and if they had decided to come back, we would have been able to summon our monsters and defeat them." he said. Tea smiled showing just how much she appreciated the gesture.

"Thank-you Atem, you know it's funny. I was just some ordinary normal school girl one minute and then the next minute I find out that I'm some reincarnation of a princess with magical powers who defeated some evil sorcerer 10,000 years ago and is back to take his revenge out on me. I say my life has did a complete 180." she said. Atem placed his hand on top of hers which made Tea turn a strong shade of red from the blush forming on her face.

"Everything's going to be fine. Do you remember the day Yugi set us up that outing together?" he asked. Tea giggled.

"Yeah I do, we had so much fun that day."

"We did, and do you remember what you told me about following my heart to find out the answers to my destiny? You said that when I'm searching for my answers, my friends will be there by my side searching along with me." he said. Tea gasped when she did remember saying that to him, but more importantly, he did too.

"You actually remembered that?" she asked. Atem smiled and nodded.

"Yes, it was one of the most helpful advice I received and it did help me. Now, I want to give you the same advice and tell you that you're not alone and that we're all going to help you into defeating this new evil. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise you that." Tea was touched from Atem's words and wrapped her arms to hug him. Atem loved her warmth and hugged her back with the same affection. Slowly, they pulled away, but they kept their arms around each other while staring into the others' eyes. Tea was staring into the most magnificent shade of amethyst she has ever seen, the way that Atem was so mysterious, she never took the time to stare into his eyes this closely before and she was glad she had the chance. Atem was thinking the same way while looking into Tea's eyes, never has he seen such beautiful blue eyes. It made him so hypnotized, that he never wanted to look away from her. Noticing how close they, Atem and Tea let go of each other while laughing nervously and blushing. Tea stood up from the sofa which made Atem look at her wondering what she was doing.

"Maybe I should try bringing out that bubble again." she said. Atem nodded and stood up with her.

"Alright and I'll help you if you need to." he said. With that, Tea started concentrating on her energy and the same bubble started to form in her hands. She moved her arms out as it was getting bigger. It was getting much easier since she felt energized. The pink bubble was grew more in size than what it was when Tea lost her focus and she felt much more confident. She felt Atem's hands rest on her shoulders giving her his support.

"You're doing it Tea, keep going." he said excited. Tea then threw her arms all the way out when the bubble grew massive and what surprised the both of them was that the pink bubble formed around them, like a protective shield. Tea looked at Atem with a happy smile.

"I did it Atem!" she said.

"I know and it looks like you created a shield, you discovered a new ability." he said.

"I couldn't have done it without you encouraging me." Atem smiled and shook his head.

"No, it was your concentration and your determination that made you form this."

"Yeah, but it was still you being here with me that made me do it, thank-you Atem."

"You're welcome." Noticing that they were close again, but neither of them wanted to move away. So without any hesitation, they placed their lips together to kiss setting off a spark of romance. The kiss intensified and neither Atem nor Tea noticed how the shield was sparkling a beautiful glow. It was because of their strong feelings that made the shield very powerful. They broke the kiss both breathing heavily and bearing blushes on their faces.

"What just happened?" Tea asked.

"I think we just kissed which was amazing by the way." Atem answered back. Tea giggled and she let down the shield making it disappear. She and Atem walked over to sit down on the sofa.

"It was, it's better than I imagined it." Tea confessed. Atem had a playful smirk.

"Better than you imagined? Does that mean you have been having fantasies about me Tea." he teased. Tea thought she was going to die from embarrassment. She tried to explain herself.

"N-n-no! I mean, no...hehe why would I be thinking about you. I mean, I do think about you but not the way you're thinking...I mean it is what you're-" she was cut off when Atem kissed her again to quiet down her ranting and he felt her relax which allowed him to turn her head and kissed her much more deeply. Pulling back again, he smiled when she had a dazed expression on her face.

"I think I understand what you're saying." he said. Tea smiled back to him.

"So, I guess it's safe to say you feel the same way I do about you." she said. Atem nodded.

"Yes it is, I felt it for a while and I would have told you much sooner, but you know with the things that's happened a few years back the timing wasn't right. Now it is and I know just how much I love you." he said. Tea was shaking and tears were forming in her eyes. She was so happy that she pounced on Atem causing him to fall back and bringing her with him as they both laughed from hug. Tea lifted her head to look down at Atem while smiling softly at him.

"I waited forever to hear you say those words, I love you too." Without warning, she placed her lips against Atem's kissing him so passionately. They pulled apart smiling again. Tea laid her head on his chest while Atem was supporting himself on the pillow behind him keeping his arms around her waist. There were no words to be spoken because their actions spoke for them. Both of them at the same time closed their eyes and drifted into a peaceful slumber.

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The next morning, Tea was fixing her uniform as she was getting ready to go to school. Atem was concerned at first and thought it was best if she took the day off today, but she insisted that she was fine and not to worry. Tea told Shirabe and Kiyo about her new found ability of creating defensive shields with her powers. They were pleased to know that she was getting used to her powers and getting stronger. Kiyo was floating beside her while she was fixing the blue bow on her uniform top.

"So you feel like you have your shield under control Tea?" he asked.

"Yeah, but there's still times where I lose it. Like you and Shirabe said I just have to keep practicing." she said. Shirabe nodded and smiled at her princess.

"That's right Tea, you'll be much stronger once you find out all your abilities." Tea agreed then she grabbed her school bag and started walking out the door.

"Well, I'm off."

"Right behind you princess." Kiyo said as he started flying after her, but was stopped when Tea put up her hand.

"No, you can't come with me. Someone will see you and how do you think that will look if everyone sees me with a talking cat with sprouting out of his back." she said. Shirabe nodded agreeing with her.

"She's right Kiyomichi, it's not safe for other humans to lay eyes on us." she said. Kiyo turned to Shirabe with a debate of his own.

"But we're suppose to be by her side at all times so how are we suppose to protect Tea if we don't go with her." he said.

"Kiyo I'll be fine, I'm just going to school. A place where I go to everyday with my friends. Plus they'll be with me all day and if anything happens, I'll have my powers and the guys have their monsters. It's no big deal." she said trying to reason with him. Kiyo folded his arms and was fighting on whether to go along with Tea anyway or just do what she says and hope nothing happens. So, he chose the later.

"Alright, I'll stay." he said in a defeated voice. Tea started scratching behind his ears and Kiyo let out a light purr which mad her laugh.

"Thank-you Kiyo, don't worry I'll be back soon, just stay here." she said then leaving out the door. Kiyo looked at the door again while letting out a laugh and going to the window to see Tea walking with Atem, Yugi, Joey and Tristan. Shirabe was looking at him with a suspicious look at the way he was laughing.

"What are you up to Kiyomichi?" she asked. Kiyo looked to her with a wide grin.

"Oh nothing, just going to see what this 'skool' Tea is going to." He waited a few minutes until he started opening the window with his powers and started to fly out. Shirabe stood up to stop him.

"You heard what Tea said, she doesn't want you to go with her." Kiyo looked back while keeping his cheeky grin.

"Yeah I know, she said I couldn't go with her, but she never said I couldn't follow her." With that, he flew off making sure to keep a safe distance so Tea wouldn't notice him behind her. Shirabe let out a frustrated growl and leaped out the window.

"Ugh, the things I have to put up with. That cat is going to drive me crazy." Using her other power of invisibility so that she wasn't noticed, Shirabe leaped from building to building following Kiyo, but then just when she was about to catch him, he snuck inside Tea's bag which made her groan in aggravation.

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"UGH! When are we going to get a break from this stupid school!" The gang were sitting in class waiting patiently for the teacher to come inside...well except for Joey who was slouching over his desk complaining about a vacation from school.

"C'mon Joey, it's not that bad. There's always something to look forward here at school sometimes." Yugi said. Joey lifted his head to look at him.

"The only thing I look forward to here Yug is the grub, other than that this school can kiss my-"

"MR. WHEELER!" Joey cringed in fear when he looked up Ms. Daiyoshi and saw her glaring at him.

"I hope I don't have to wash your mouth out with soap young man, watch the language in my classroom."

"Yes Ms. Daiyoshi." he said muttering angrily. The teacher was now telling everyone to take their seats so they could start the lesson. Tea sat down next to Atem getting out her items from her bag, but she discovered something inside that she didn't packed. Staring back at her was none other than Kiyomichi giving her a grin.

"AAHHH!" she screamed which caused Atem, Yugi Joey, Tristan and the rest of the classroom stare at her. Tea looked up and had a blush of embarrassment on her face from everyone looking at her.

"Tea, is something wrong?" asked Ms. Daiyoshi. Tea was scrambling through her mind trying to figure out what to say and then finally thought of an answer.

"Uh, I thought I saw a mouse, but hehe I think it was just my imagination." she said laughing nervously.

"Well okay, if you need some time to calm down, you're welcome to go to the ladies room." she said.

"Oh, thank-you I'll be right back." she said as she stepped out the room carrying her bag with her. Atem stood up from his seat as well and with Ms. Daiyoshi's premission he was able to follow behind Tea.

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Tea ran over to the door and without letting anyone see her she snuck outside and went behind a tree to open her bag and let out Kiyo. He flew out once the coast was clear and when he turned around, he was met with Tea's angry glare that made him nervous on the spot.

"Hehe, h-hey Tea thought I check out this 'skool' of yours." he said.

"Yeah, I see that. Didn't I tell you to stay back at home? Do you know what could happen if someone saw you? I could get in big trouble." she said. Kiyo just put his hand behind his head and let out a nervous laugh.

"I know, but you didn't say I couldn't follow you and besides, I was just curious that's all." he said. Tea sighed. Just then, she heard someone coming behind her and sighed in relief when it was only Atem.

"Hey, what happened?" he asked. Tea pointed to a floating Kiyomichi in a reclining position.

"Apparently, Kiyo decided to come to school today." After Tea said that, Shirabe let down her invisibility spell and walked over to Kiyo who now just saw her coming up behind him, but was too late to stop her lightning bolt attack that turned him into a burned kitty. Shirabe then turned to Atem and Tea bowing her head to them.

"I'm very sorry Tea, but I couldn't stop him in time. He can be very hard headed sometimes." she said turning her glare at Kiyo. Tea smiled and shook her head.

"It's okay, we have to get back to class so you guys just stay around the school until the end of the day. Make sure no one sees you though." she said.

"Yes Tea, as you wish." she said.

"And Kiyo, I'll bring some food out to you too if you behave yourself." she said. Kiyo gasped happily and went to hug Tea causing her to laugh.

"Oh thanks Tea, don't worry I be very good." he promised her. Shirabe rolled her eyes.

"That'll be a first." she muttered. Both of them flew up to the rooftop and waited for their princess and her friends to come out of school. Atem gently took Tea's hand and smled at her.

"We better get to class before they wonder where we are." he said. Tea nodded and they both walked to the door. She moved close to Atem until she was laying her head on his arm while they were walking enjoying his warmth.

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Finally classes were over for the day and Atem, Yugi, Joey and Tristan were at the lockers getting their stuff.

"So, that's why Tea screamed earlier because Kiyo was in her bag?" asked Yugi. Atem nodded while placing a book in his bag.

"Yeah, he snuck into Tea's bag without her knowing. He and Shirabe are waiting outside right now." he said. They were about to walk out the door when Joey looked around realizing that they were missing a member of their group.

"Hey where's Tea?" he asked.

"Oh, she said that she wanted to practice her dancing in the auditorium. She wanted us to meet her there." Atem said. Yugi, Joey and Tristan were giving Atem sly smirks when he said that. Atem looked confused as to why they were looking at him like that.

"What's with the smirks?" he asked.

"You seem to know alot about Tea's whereabouts, is there something going on between you two?" Tristan asked. Atem blushed and quickly tried to hid it.

"I-I don't know what you mean. Tea just told me this and that's it." he said. Atem quickly went to the door to avoid anymore questions from his friends, but it was obvious that they knew. He and Tea were very close all day and that made them realize that they were a couple now. Reaching to the tree Tea went to earlier, Shirabe and Kiyo appeared in front of the guys. Kiyo started flying around Atem in circles.

"Did you bring me food? Please tell me you did, I'm starving!" he said. Shirabe sighed and the guys laughed. Atem pulled out an onigiri for Kiyo to munch on which he happily accepted. Shirabe looked around realizing that Tea was with them.

"Where is Tea?" she asked.

"She practicing her dancing now." said Yugi.

"Hey, can we see her? Shirabe and I want to see how she dances." said Kiyo finishing up his rice ball. Shirabe turned her head slightly to the side agreeing with Kiyo for once. Atem chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess it's alright since there's no one around." he said. Kiyo hopped inside Atem's bag while Shirabe made herself invisible as they all walked back into the school and down to the auditorium. Opening the door, they all saw Tea on stage in a pair of black jeans, a pair of black finger cut gloves, and a brown short sleeved shirt. She was stooped down in front of her CD boom box and searched for a song to dance to. The guys sat in the front row, Kiyo came out of Atem's bag and landed on his shoulder, and Shirabe reappeared sitting down near the others. Tea stood up and got into position as she waited for the song to play. When the melody started to play, Tea was moving beautifully

_Ribon wo musunde waratte mitara kawatta watashi ninaneta  
kigashita  
chiisana yuuki ga jishin ni naru anata ni aumade wasureteta_

_onnanoka wa minna muteki ni nareru  
tokubetsu na mahou shitteru no__  
It's show time!_

_Doki Doki sasete ne itsudemo tokemeki tai no  
iron na watshi misete ageru dakara  
Motto Motto sunao ni afuereru kono kinnochi wo  
anata ni todoketaiyo  
Uke totte ne my sweet heart_

Atem already seen Tea dance before, but he was still amazed from the way she moved around like she was an angel in the wind.

_Hikari no hanabata dakishimetara mabushii ashita ni kitto narukara  
ooki narisou ni todoku you ni kokoro no tsubasa  
wo habatakase_

_onnanoko wa minna kirei ni naru no  
taisetsu na nito ni deattara  
It's show time!_

_Uki Uki suru you na hajimari kitaishiteiru  
Shiranai anata sagashitai yo motto  
Zutto Zutto chikaku deissho ni yume wo mitai ne  
tetoke wo tsunai da nara  
fushigi da yo ne change my mind_

With the way Tea was dancing, she felt like the music was the only thing in the world that mattered to her. Putting her heart and soul into her movements.

_It's show time!  
Doki Doki sasete ne itsudemo tokemeki tai no  
iron na watashi misete ageru dakara  
Motto Motto sunao ni afuereru kono kinnochi wo  
anata ni todoketaiyo  
Uke totte ne my sweet heart_

As the song was ending, Tea made her last steps then finally posing at the last note. She heard clapping from below the seats and turned to find Atem and the others. Let out a laugh, Tea jumped down from the stage and walked over to them. Kiyo flew over to her.

"That was amazing Tea, you're a very talented dancer." he said. Shirabe also walked over to Tea.

"Yes, you danced beautifully princess." she said. Tea placed a hand behind her head and giggled.

"Thanks you guys. I'm finished here so all of us can get going now." she said as she grabbed her bag and put her boom box inside. With everything set, they all left the auditorium.

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As the gang were leaving out the door and on to the school yard, Atem, Tea, Shirabe and Kiyo stopped. Shirabe growled and stepped in front of everyone while Kiyo glowed a bright golden color. All of them were sensing a presence nearby.

"What's wrong with you guys?" asked Joey.

"We're no alone, there someone here." Atem said. Just as he said that, a dark portal appeared in front of them and Shadow Demons came out, but they were a little different than the ones they faced before. These creatures were much more dangerous carrying spears of dark magic. One shot from these weapons and it's over. There was also three figures coming out of the portal as well. It was Jouta, Nagaharu and Kiyori with evil smirks. The gang all went into an attack stance.

"Well, we meet again. It's a pleasure to finally lay eyes on the princess." said Jouta.

"Man, I'm ready to play." said Nagaharu. Kiyori turned to the both of them while glaring.

"You two aren't even suppose to be here, I want to take care of the princess myself. Just go, you'll only be in my way." she said. Nagaharu scoffed at her.

"Yeah right, you just want to concentrate on spiky haired guy instead of handling the mission." he said.

"So, can't I have a little fun too?" she said. Jouta and Nagaharu looked at each other before turning back to Kiyori.

"Don't mess this up Kiyori, remember your reason for being here in the first place. If you fail, you won't be getting any help from us." Jouta said as he and Nagaharu disappeared in the portal.

"Hmph, like I need your help. I can handle this no problem. So, nice to finally meet you princess, as you know my name is Kiyori and I'm here on behalf of my Lord Gyousei to personally take your energy and make sure he gets his revenge for what you did to him." she said.

"You freak, there's no way you're taking Tea without fightin us first!" yelled Joey. Kiyori sighed.

"Oh why do they have to do it the hard way? Fine, I'll just destroy you as well." she said as she formed a fireball and attacked the others with it. It would have hurt them if Tea didn't form a shield around herself and everyone else.

"Not on your life, I won't let you hurt any of my friends!" Tea said as she stepped in front of them. Taking off her necklace, she threw it into the air and it transformed into her magical scepter. Twirling it a few times, Tea pointed it at Kiyori.

"If you want to fight, you fight with me! Leave everyone else I care about out of this!" she said.

"Tea, wait it's too dangerous." Atem said. Tea turned around to look at him and smiled.

"I'll be fine, don't worry." Kiyori glared and then she ordered the Shadow Demons to attack.

"Fine, if that's the way it's going to be. I'll make sure my lord gets his power. ATTACK MY DEMONS!!" Kiyori yelled. **(A/N I wanted to try something, there is background music playing now called 'Vim and Vigor' from the game 'Kingdom Hearts 2' which I don't own.)**Atem, Yugi, Joey and Tristan all summoned their monsters to defeat them and Shirabe and Kiyo used their powers to help out too. Tea was about to help out also, but Kiyori flew in her way.

"No sweetie, your fight is with me!" she said as she attacked Tea with her fire powers. Tea quickly placed a shield to defend herself and then she formed an energy orb to attack Kiyori. It did damage, but it wasn't what she hoped.

"Ha, you're making me laugh. If that's all you can do, then you might as well just surrender to me now." Kiyori then formed a fire circle and shot out hundreds of fireballs at Tea. Tea dodged them quickly, but one of them burned a little of her arm and she clutched it to ease the pain. Not wanting this to continue anymore, Tea shot out more pink orbs, since one wasn't enough, she threw out five. They were making Kiyori stun for a second before she shook her head and looked up in time to see Tea using her scepter. She wasn't able to dodge from the attack.

"CRYSTAL STORM!!" Tea yelled. Millions of deadly crystals formed out from her scepter and they were all creating serious damage to Kiyori. It still wasn't enough since Kiyori was still standing and she was getting very aggravated.

"All right, playtime's over. YOU'RE DEAD!" she yelled. Taking her hand, she lifted it to the sky to create the most deadliest fireball ever imagined. She then fired it at Tea and it caused her to be thrown off balanced and into the sky. If she were to fall, Tea wouldn't be able to survive. Atem, Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Shirabe and Kiyo all witnessed this and were distraught.

"TEA!!" they all screamed. Shirabe tried to fly and catch her, but she wouldn't be able to make it time. Kiyori laughed evily realizing that she won.

"Hahahaha, I knew you were no match against me, you're too weak prin-WHAT!!" Suddenly out of nowhere, there was a pink flying disc that caught Tea safely. Tea weakly stood up and then glared at Kiyori.

"I...have had...enough of you. I won't let you...harm me or my friends...anymore. You go back...and you tell your lord that." Tea lifted her scepter in the air again and performed her attack.

"CRYSTAL STORM!!" she yelled. The crystals came shooting out of her scepter again and it destroyed whatever demons that were left and also some came in the direction of Kiyori, but she quickly created a portal and disappeared behind it, but not without giving her last warning to Tea.

"I will be back to destroy you princess, you won't be so lucky next time." her voiced echoed through the sky and then it disappeared. Tea was taking heavy breaths and then her flying disc vanished making her fall from the sky. Shirabe quickly caught her and flew back to the others. Running over to them, Atem lifted Tea and tried to see if she was alright.

"Tea, c'mon wake up. Are you alright? Please answere me." his pleads weren't reaching to Tea since she was still unconcious. Atem looked down at the burn on her arm and felt tears forming knowing that she was hurt and he couldn't protect her. He brought her close to him and hoped that she was okay with everyone else watching not saying anything.

**This chapter was very long, but I enjoyed writing it. Tell me how you thought about it in your reviews and I'll have the next chapter up very soon.**


	4. The Power to Protect You

**Here's the next chapter for you to enjoy readers and thanks to everyone for the great reviews I received:**

**dancers of the night**

**Celeste5502**

**fantasia-49**

**shadow-fox313**

**takerschick**

**Sapphire Princess of Egypt**

**Cheating Death**

**mellymel.2010**

**cubicslady**

**Ruize**

**LadyAquarius77**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!**

**Summary: In another world thousands of years ago, there lived mystical creatures who lived peacefully, that was until a dark evil prescience threaten to take over. He almost succeeded, until he was stopped by a beautiful princess who saved the creatures from his evil wrath. Now 10,000 years into the present time, he has come back to finish what he started and also get revenge on the one who stopped him.**

**Chapter 4**

The dark portal transported Kiyori back to the dark dimension, but she wasn't pleased at all. Beside from the injuries that she endured from her fight with Tea, she vowed to make sure that Tea suffered tremendously. Clutching on her side where she was hit from Tea's energy orbs, she walked through the dark void with a seething death glare. Looking ahead, she found Jouta and Nagaharu standing against the wall and made no attempts to help her out. She growled in anger and walked passed them, but Nagaharu broke the eerie silence.

"I told you that you didn't know what you were getting into." he said. Kiyori turned her glare at him.

"Shut-up! I had her right where I wanted her if she didn't pull that stunt out on me!" she yelled. Jouta looked up at Kiyori also.

"You let your confidence blind you from your mission, plus you were thinking about that pharaoh more than you were thinking about capturing the princess and stealing her energy. Now look at you, if you didn't get out of there when you did then you would have perished in the blast along with the Shadow Demons." he said.

"Oh, you think that you could do better?! Well just wait until next time, I'll make sure that I bring her to Lord Gyousei and I'll make the both of you look like fools!" she said. Nagaharu scoffed at her comment.

"That's if there is a next time." From within the depths of darkness, a Shadow Demon slithered over to Jouta and whispered something into his ear. After he disappeared, Jouta turned to Kiyori and Nagaharu with an emotionless glance.

"Lord Gyousei requests our prescene right now." he said. They all walked through the shadowed halls, nothing but the sound of the suffering souls and the clicking of their footsteps being heard. When they reached the entrance of Lord Gyousei's throne, the three of them all bowed in front of him. Gyousei was still facing the green fire making more sacrifices of souls to recharge his energy. He turned away from it for a moment and faced his minions.

"I want a report." he said in a cold voice. Since Kiyori was the one that fought Tea, she spoke up first.

"I had the princess in my grasp, my lord. When I fought her, her powers weren't as strong as they should have been so I knew I had the upper hand. Then, I don't know what happened, it was like she had all of this unknown boost of power coming from out of nowhere and I wasn't able to finish her off like I wanted to. Please forgive me Lord Gyousei, I promise the next time I face against the princess, that I will capture her and make sure you get your revenge." she said. All Gyousei did was stare at her before closing his eyes.

"So, you're saying that more of her powers are now being awaken again, interesting. Alright Kiyori, I will give you another chance to redeem yourself again, but you will not be going back any time soon. I will send you again when your powers have been recharged, in the meantime Jouta and Nagaharu will be taking care of her. Is that understood?" he said.

"Yes, my lord." she said.

"When do you advise us to go, my lord?" asked Jouta. Gyousei turned back to his fire while smirking.

"She's injured, isn't she? This will be the perfect time to capture her while she's weak. Also, if Shirabe, Kiyomichi and those other friends of hers tries to get in your way, kill them all." he said. Jouta and Nagaharu smirked evilly as well and bowed to him.

"Yes Lord Gyousei." they both replied. Kiyori looked up with a glare thinking about what she planned to do to Tea next and how she was going to bring her down.

_'You got lucky princess, but once I'm at my full power again you'll be history.'_

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At the Game Shop, Atem and the others had brought an unconscious Tea back from the battle with Kiyori and the Shadow Demons. Tea was upstairs laying on Atem's bed while the others were downstairs with devastated expressions. It was nothing but silence for a while as they all relived the events of what happened while trying to think of some way to stop any plans that Gyousei might have. Atem stood up from his seat and walked over to the window with everyone's eyes following him. They already know how this was making him feel seeing the woman he loves in the state that she's in right now.

"I should have protected her better. If I had known what was going to happen, then I could have helped her." Atem said.

"Atem, there was no way any of us could have known of Kiyori's power. She took us all by surprise and we all could have helped Tea had it not been for those demons getting in the way." said Yugi.

"Yug's right Atem, that fire witch set it up where there was no way for us to help Tea. We just got to take her down next time we run into her and those other freaks again." Joey said. Atem turned to all of them and they were all shocked from the way he looked. Tears were still coming down his eyes.

"Don't you understand? This isn't about wanting to take them down next time, believe me that's going to happen anyway. No, this is about the promise I made to Tea before all of this started. I promised her that I would protect her, that I wouldn't let anything happen to her and I couldn't even keep that promise. Now she's up there unconscious and injured." he said. They were all quiet for a few seconds and then Kiyo flew over to Atem sitting on his shoulder.

"Don't be so hard on yourself Atem, your friends are right. Tea's going to be okay, so even though we all couldn't protect her in the battle, we can still be with her now." he said. Atem looked at Kiyo and nodded.

"All of you are right, I'm going to see if she's awake now." he said as he went upstairs. Shirabe and Kiyo followed him wanting to know also if their princess was alright.

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Atem opened the door to his room and his eyes landed on his blue eyed beauty still sleeping on his bed. Walking inside, he got his desk chair and brought it over to the side of the bed sitting down next to her. Taking one of her hands, he brought it up to his lips and planted a soothing kiss on top of it and stared down at her sleeping face. Taking his other hand, he moved some of her hair that was blocking her eye. He looked down at Tea's hand he was holding and his eyes moved up until they landed on the wrapped bandage on her arm where she got burned from the Kiyori's fireball attack. Atem felt rage surge through his body from the way Tea was hurt from the battle and vowed to that he would somehow, someway make Gyousei and his minions pay for what they did. Hearing his door open, Atem looked up to see Shirabe and Kiyo coming inside. Kiyo flew over to sit near Tea's head while Shirabe sat next to Atem placing her front paws on the bed as she looked down at her master.

"Shouldn't Tea be waking up by now? It's been seven hours since she's been like this." Atem said. Shirabe looked up to Atem.

"She'll be fine, Tea has used a enormous amount of energy and on top of that, she has learned two new abilities that completely drained her. Tea is in what is called a meditation sleep where she is regaining her energy while recovering from the events in battle." she said.

"So when do you think she'll wake up?" he asked. Kiyomichi started to glow a golden color around himself and he placed his small paw against Tea's forehead. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his task which made Atem curious and he turned to Shirabe.

"What's he doing?" he asked.

"Don't worry, Kiyomichi is only sensing the progress on Tea's energy. It's one of his powers to see how strong or how weak a person's power is so we'll know just how Tea is doing in just a few moments." she said. Atem nodded feeling a tad bit better that they have a way to see if Tea was alright or not. The glow from Kiyo faded away from his body and he turned to Atem and Shirabe looking absolutely happy.

"It's only a matter of time before she wakes up, her energy is almost a full strength!" he said. They both sighed in relief feeling just as happy as Kiyo. Atem squeezed Tea's hand smiling down on her.

"I'm glad she's going to be okay." he said. Kiyo and Shirabe smiled at each other and Kiyo flew until he was on top of Atem's shoulder.

"Told you she was going to be okay, you worry too much. Has any ever told you you worry too much? Cause you do, you know." he said talking rapidly. Atem chuckled while Shirabe sighed and shook her head.

"I guess I should just go with the flow like you do, huh?" he said.

"Exactly! Just be like me." he said.

"HA! If the pharaoh becomes anything like you Kiyomichi, then the world as we know it will become disastrous." Shirabe said. Kiyo glared at her and it was a series of back and forth comebacks as Atem laughed and then looked down at Tea again, happy to know that she'll be alright. After about an hour passed, Shirabe and Kiyo both fell asleep and Atem had his head next to Tea's hand. He was starting to get tired and he tried as hard as he could to keep them open to look at Tea, but without realizing it, his eyes slowly closed with Tea being the last thing on his mind.

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_She was surrounded by darkness again, it was the same place she ended up before. The only thing that wasn't shrouded in darkness was herself, she was glowing a pure aura around herself. Suddenly, the scenery changed to a place she recognized very well. She was standing in the park, all was quiet like she was the only human being that existed. There was no sign of life, no birds, no children playing, nothing. Just when she thought she was alone, there was a figure in the distance, but she couldn't see him very well._

_"Hello princess, wonderful night isn't it?" She could tell that this person was a man from the sound of his voice. She could see him coming closer to her and she knew from the second that this person was evil, but as she tried to leave, there was a gust of wind that surrounded her and trapping her where she couldn't escape. Trying to summon her powers were becoming a bit of a task because whenever she would create an orb, it would disappear in a second. Looking up, her eyes widened as he made a dagger out of gust and wind and aimed it right at her heart. Letting the dagger fly, she stood there motionless not knowing what to do. Just then, there was a golden light shielding her. The gold light was a sword that blocked the dagger canceling out the attack._

_"Don't touch her!" She looked over at the mysterious being that rescued her, but she couldn't place his face though his voice was very familiar to her. The whole scenery began to get hazy and blurry which caused her to suddenly become dizzy and lose her balance. She heard her savior's voice and trying as she could to see his face, she couldn't help but welcome the darkness._

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Tea opened her eyes and sat up quickly in the bed wondering where she was. She wasn't in darkness anymore, looking around she saw that she was in Atem's room again. Turing to the clock on the night stand, she saw that the it was after midnight. A rush of pain flowed through her arm and she winced while looking down and saw her arm wrapped in a bandage. Just then, the events from earlier came rushing back into her mind. The battle with Kiyori, her sudden surge of power, then nothing. Tea felt her hand being held by something and she looked down and saw Atem with his head down holding her hand and sleeping next to her. She smiled seeing just how peaceful he was sleeping. Slowly, without waking him, she took her hand from his only to let it run through his hair. She loved the way it flowed when she ran her fingers through it. So caught up, Tea didn't hear Atem groaning softly until she saw his eyes opening up. Blinking a few times to clear his vision, Atem smiled happy to see that Tea was watching him.

"You're awake, how are you feeling?" he asked. Tea smiled.

"I'm okay, I would be better if I knew I was going into battle earlier." she said trying to lighten the mood. Atem's smile suddenly disappeared and he stood up from his chair in order to sit next to Tea. She gasped when he pulled her into a loving embrace. He was holding her as if she would slip away at anytime. Wrapping her arms around him, Tea returned his embrace.

"What's wrong?" she asked. All Atem did was hold her a little tighter.

"I'm just glad you're okay, that's all." he whispered. Tea closed her eyes as her head was leaning against Atem's chest pressing her face to bury into his neck.

"I didn't mean to make you worry." she said. Atem chuckled.

"I'm going to worry about you anyway, I wish I was able to protect you. If I was there fighting along side you, then you wouldn't have gotten injured." he said. Tea was quiet and she thought back to the battle she was in with Kiyori and gave out a shaky sigh which made Atem wonder what was wrong as he waited to see what she would say.

"Atem...am I weak?" she asked. Atem's eyes widened as he pulled back to look at Tea.

"What gave you that idea?" he asked. Tea had her head down making her bangs cover her eyes.

"Just answer the question." she said quietly.

"No, I don't think you're weak at all. You have such a strong heart that makes you never want to give up even if something seems hopeless." he said.

"That's just it, I was just there as some little cheerleader on the sidelines. I've always wondered... when you, Joey and Kaiba were chosen for those legendary dragons, was it because of your strong spirits? I've wanted with all of my heart to be apart of helping to save the world, instead of being the one cheering all of the time, I want to be able to offer some sort of support too. Now, I finally get that chance to show my strength, but it all just blows away when I faced Kiyori today. She made me feel like I was the weakest person in the world." Tea finished while quickly wiping away any existing tears. Atem pulled Tea to him while kissing her forehead.

"Tea, you are strong no matter what someone says or how you feel about it. You're still learning these new abilities and you need to control them, but that doesn't make you weak. If anything it makes you as strong as ever. Going into battle even though your magic wasn't at 100 percent, you showed courage and refused to give up and that gave you a new power in the process." he said. Tea looked up to Atem while giving a smile.

"Okay, thank-you Atem, that makes me feel much better." she said. Atem smiled back and then pressed his lips against hers which shocked Tea for a second before she kissed him back with such emotion. Slowly pulling back after they were running out of air, Atem kissed her cheek and kept his smile for her.

"Now no more of these thoughts, right?" he asked. Tea giggled and nodded.

"Right, so I'm guessing that the others are worried as well." she said.

"You can say that princess." Atem and Tea turned to see Shirabe and Kiyo watching them. Not realizing they had an audience, they both blushed and turned away from each other.

"Uh, how long were you two sitting there?" Tea asked. Kiyo gave a cheeky grin while Shirabe closed her eyes smiling.

"Since you two were so engaged in your hug. You know you guys make such a cute couple and it was fun to watch you too, if I had some popcorn, it would just be so perfect." Kiyo said. Atem and Tea didn't think their faces could get anymore redder than it already was. Shirabe was doing her hardest not to giggle at the site of them so she cleared her throat and turned to Kiyo.

"Now Kiyomichi, please don't embarrass them. It's good to see that you are alright Tea, how are you?" she asked.

"I'm fine, I'm sorry I worried you guys." Kiyo flew over until he was sitting on Tea's head.

"That's okay Tea, I wasn't really worried at all though. I knew you would wake up soon." he said. Tea giggled while picking up Kiyo and giving him a little kiss on his head.

"Thank-you Kiyo, you know I think I want to get out of bed now." she said. They all laughed at Tea's comment. Atem stood up to open the door and let everyone know that Tea was alright, but when he opened the door, Yugi, Joey and Tristan all fell inside and they all laughed nervously from the stare that Atem was giving them.

"Hey Atem, w-we were just passing through and thought we should see how Tea's doing." said Yugi. Atem crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow.

"Really, and you decided to do that from behind the door?" he asked. Joey and Tristan grinned while scratching the back of their heads.

"Well, we didn't want to disturb you guys." said Tristan.

"Yeah, what he said. Hey Tea, how you doing?" Joey said. Tea giggled and stood up from the bed slowly since she was still feeling somewhat wobbly.

"I'm okay, still a bit woozy." she said.

"You sure Tea, you were pretty drained after the fight." said Yugi.

"Yeah not to mention that injury on your arm." Tristan said. Tea looked at her arm and placed her hand over it still feeling a slight pain from it.

"I'm fine guys, this will go away within a few days at the most. Right now, I just want to get some fresh air so I'll be outside for a little bit." she said as she walked out the room and downstairs with the others watching her.

"You think she'll be fine out there by herself?" asked Yugi.

"I hope so, I don't think I can bear if anything else happened to her again." Atem said.

"Don't worry, if something goes wrong, then Shirabe and I can sense if any danger comes." Kiyo said. Atem looked down at his Millennium Puzzle and placed his hand on it.

"And so can I." he said.

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Tea opened the front door of the Game Shop and stepped outside breathing in the nighttime air. Looking up in the sky, she couldn't remember the last time she ever seen the stars like this since she found out that she was the reincarnation of a princess and she now has these mysterious new powers to control so she can use them to defeat a 10,000 year old evil sorcerer. Tea made every second count as she watched these beautiful sparkling dots in the sky knowing that there might not be time again where she will get a chance to watch them. While staring in the sky, there was something shimmering floating around. It was some kind of transparent silver feather and Tea couldn't seem to take her eyes off of it, like it was hypnotizing her. Her eyes suddenly turned into a faded blue and she unconsciously followed the feather not knowing that there was a cloaked figure on the rooftop watching her.

"Yes my princess, come to me." Suddenly the figure disappeared into thin air.

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Atem and the others were downstairs as they waited for Tea to come back inside, but as the minutes were going by, worry was starting to cloud everyone's mind as to where their friend could be. Atem looked out the window checking to see if his blue eyed beauty was coming, but there still wasn't any sign of her.

"I don't think it takes that long to just get some air, does it?" Joey asked.

"Not if she she said it would only take a second." Tristan said.

"Then, where could Tea have gone too?" Yugi asked.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that something is wrong." Atem said. Kiyo flew over to the window next to Atem and glowed a golden aura around himself to sense where Tea was.

"That's wierd, I can still feel her energy, but it's not as strong as it was after she woke up." he said. Everyone was confused as to what he said.

"What do you mean Kiyo?" asked Atem. The glow disappeared from his body and he sat in a thinking position with his arms crossed.

"Tea's still around, but it's like, her spirit it doesn't exist." he explained.

"WHAT?!" everyone yelled.

"Well then why are we sitting around here for?! Let's go find her!" Joey said.

"Sorry, I can't let you do that." Everyone in the room turned to see a dark portal forming and out of the portal came a cloaked figure. Taking off his hood, he revealed himself as Nagaharu. Shirabe and Kiyo both stood in front of the guys to protect them.

"Nagaharu, what are you doing here?" Shirabe growled. All he did was laugh evilly.

"Oh, is that anyway to greet an old friend Shirabe?" he asked.

"You're no friend of us, now tell us why you showed your ugly face here!" Kiyo said. Nagaharu smirked.

"I'm here to keep all of you busy while Jouta spends some time with the princess. Though it seems like a drag to me, I'm always doing the clean-up work." Atem thought his heart would jump out of his chest when he heard that Tea was left alone with someone who wanted to steal her powers. He clenched his fists tightly and stood next to Shirabe who was in an attack position.

"Where is Tea?! Tell me where you have her now!" Atem yelled.

"Hm, guess you must be her boyfriend, huh pharaoh? Well, you're not going to find her so you should just find another girl to date. When Jouta's through with her, she won't even be of this world anymore." he said with a cold, evil smirk. Atem growled.

"So help me, if anything happens to her, I'll make sure you never take another breath in your body." Atem said. Nagaharu sighed and placed his hand on his head.

"See, this is why I don't like holding hostages, they make too many threats. Oh well, I'll just have to make a threat of my own. No one is getting in the way of Lord Gyousei's reign." Nagaharu held up his hand out came freezing icicles that surrounded the room and trapping everyone in a ice barrier. When he was finished, the whole room was frozen, there was no way out since the windows and doors were sealed shut.

"This will hold you guys for a long time, the barrier will break once Jouta has taken the princess's energy. Catch ya on the flip side." he said as a dark portal opened and he disappeared.

"What are we going to do? Everything's sealed, we can't get out!" Yugi said. Kiyo suddenly started to feel a strange, but familiar power surge through him which caused the others to look at him.

"Kiyomichi, are you alright?" Shirabe asked. Kiyo gave her a grin.

"I think I'm going to be transforming now Shirabe." he said. Just then, his wings grew enormously covering his whole body and glow a bright color. Moving his wings out again, it wasn't the same small talking cat anymore, instead it was a large black panther. His wings were more larger and Kiyomichi looked more fierce than in his smaller form. On his forehead was the same star, but along with it was a crescent moon fused together with it. His eyes were a golden color and he was now much more stronger. Everyone was amazed at the transformation.

"Whoa, he's a biiiig boy now." said Tristan. Joey nodded.

"Yeah, no wonder he always eat alot." he said. Kiyo got into an attack stance and faced to the ice activating his powers.

"I'm going to try and break down this barrier." he said in a deep voice. He shot a powerful golden sphere from his mouth aiming it at the ice barrier causing smoke to appear, but when the smoke cleared, there wasn't any sign of cracks forming.

"I will try to use my powers to break through this time." Shirabe said. She turned to face the frozen barrier and used her lightning energy to try and crack the ice, but when she stopped her attack, it didn't leave any marks.

"Man, those attacks didn't even put a dent into it!" said Joey.

"I don't believe this, so we're all trapped here while one of those freaks are doing who knows what to Tea right now." said Tristan. Atem was standing with his head down while his golden bangs were framing his eyes. You couldn't see his expression, but his action spoke for him. He was shaking in rage, fury, and worry all at once making everyone turn to him when they heard his low, seething monotone voice.

"No, we're going to get out of here. Nothing is going to keep me away from Tea." he said not noticing that there was a golden aura slowly appearing on his left fist.

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Still hypnotized from the silver transparent feather, Tea didn't realize that she was walking into a deserted part of the park. When she was far enough, the feather suddely vanished away making Tea snap out of her daze as her eyes cleared from the hypnosis. She didn't know what was happening at first, but as she took in her surroundings, she was suddenly having a case of deja vu.

_'This... is the same place I was in my dream. What's going on and how did I get here?'_ she thought. Everything was the same, the whole park was empty with no sign of life anywhere and the sky shown a full moon. She was beginning to get nervous and turned around to walk out the park, but there was a voice that stopped her.

"Wonderful night, isn't it?" Tea gasped in fear and slowly turned to see a shadowed, cloaked figure standing behind her. It was the same person that appeared in her dream. Right off the back, Tea knew that this person was evil.

"Who are you?" she asked with a glare trying to hide the fear in her voice. When he stepped closer, he took of his hood and revealed himself as Jouta staring at her with a smirk.

"You haven't forgotten me already, have you princess?" he asked. Tea's eyes widened.

"You're one of those guys from earlier, are you the one who brought me here?" Jouta clapped his hands applauding her.

"Very good observation princess, you figured it out. Yes, I am the one who led you here and all it took was for me to hypnotise you using this feather." he said making the silver feather appear in the palm of his hand.

"But why, what do you want?"

"As I told you before in our last visit, I'm here to take you to my lord where he will absorb your energy and finally have his revenge on you while he takes over this pathetic world. It will be much easier if you just come willingly rather than having me force you." he said. Tea glared and lifted her hand.

"Well sorry, but it looks like you're just going to have to force me because I'm not leaving without a fight!" Forming a energy orb in her hand, Tea was about to attack Jouta, but the orb suddenly disappeared. Shaking off her confusion, Tea tried again, but the orb vanished again.

"Wh-what's going on, my powers?" she said looking down at her hand. Tea looked up when she heard Jouta starting to laugh.

"Oh, did I forget to mention? Your powers are now under a seal now, I guess Kiyori wasn't useless after all." he said.

"What are you talking about?" she asked demanding.

"The attack on your arm was from Kiyori's fire attack, but it did alot more than just burn you. You now have a seal the prevents you from activating your powers. Makes it much easier for when Lord Gyousei absorbs your energy, so it's no use in fighting. It will be best if you just come with me willingly." he said. Tea couldn't believe what was happening, her powers weren't appearing and she's now in a situation where she could be captured by Jouta since she had no way of defending herself, but with all of that happening, Tea didn't feel the urge to give up. Like there was still hope left, so looking up at Jouta again, she gave him a determined look.

"My powers may be locked right now, but I will find a way to break the seal on myself. So you can try to do what you can to me, that's not going to make me give up. I won't let your lord rule over this world and hurt the people I care about." she said. Jouta said nothing for a minute as he stared at Tea, but after that minute was gone, the feather that was still in his hand started to change. It was changing into a dagger that Tea recognized right away from her dream.

"That hope of yours, is what's going to be your downfall." he said. Wind was starting to form around Jouta as he was preparing his attack on Tea. As the dagger was aimed at her, Tea just stood her ground not showing and ounce of fear.

_'I won't give up hope, I feel like there is still a chance.'_

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Kiyo and Shirabe were still using their powers to try and break down the ice barrier, but no matter what they did, nothing wasn't working.

"We have to keep trying Shirabe!" Kiyo said. Shirabe nodded agreeing with him and boosted her lighting power. Yugi, Joey and Tristan were all watching them and decided to help out as well.

"C'mon, maybe together with our monsters, we can break through this barrier." Yugi said. So taking out their card, Joey summoned his Flame Swordsman, Yugi summoned his Silent Magician and Tristan summoned his Cyber Commander. Calling out their attacks, they helped Kiyo and Shirabe in breaking the barrier. It was about three minutes of non-stop attacks when all of them stopped. As the smoked cleared, the barrier looked exactly the same.

"I don't believe this, so you mean even with our monsters it still didn't work?" Joey said.

"It seems like there's nothing else we can do, Kiyomichi, our princess I can feel she's in danger." Shirabe said. Kiyo closed his eyes not knowing what else to do, but just then, he felt a new source of energy coming from the barrier and looked over to Atem who still had his head kept down.

Atem walked over in front of the barrier with everyone watching him as placed his hand on the surface feeling the bitter coldness of it. He didn't care that his hand was getting numb, all he cared about was finding a way to reach Tea quickly. Slowly clenching his fist he brought it back and pounded the barrier...very hard. He kept punching away again and again and again. Suddenly, the Millennium symbol appeared on his forehead, but he didn't notice because of his punching. Everyone else did though and Kiyo and Shirabe could feel a strong source of energy coming from him so they had to make sure that Yugi, Joey and Tristan were protected by backing them up. In his last punch, Atem's fist glowed a golden color and he brought his hand out to punch the barrier one more time.

"AAARRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!" he let out a fury yell as his fist connected to the ice barrier and it exploded causing a bright light to develop making everyone shield their eyes from the blast. When the light faded, they were all met with the back of Atem again, with the barrier broken with everything back to normal and not only that there was something he was carrying. In both of his hands was a long wide bladed golden sword with a Millennium charm symbol hanging from the hilt. Atem now noticed the sword and he stared at it in amazement. His thought trained back to the situation and turned to the others with a determined gaze.

"The barrier's gone now, I'm going to look for Tea." he said. Kiyo came over to Atem stooping down in front of him.

"I'm coming with you Atem, I can help you find Tea by sensing her energy." Atem nodded and climbed on top of Kiyo's back keeping a strong grip on his new sword. Turning to the others, he gave them a nod as well seeing their worried faces.

"We're going to bring her back, I'll make sure of it." he said.

"Shirabe, protect them until we get back." Kiyo said. Shirabe nodded.

"I will, don't worry." she said.

"You guys be careful." Yugi said. Atem and Kiyo nodded and they both flew off into the sky on their search for Tea with the others watching from behind. Kiyo was flying rapidly through the sky trying to pick up Tea's flicker of energy, but it was becoming slightly difficult. About two minutes of flying, Kiyo finally picked up on her and flew into the direction to where she was.

"You found her?" Atem asked.

"I sure did, hold on tight cause it's going to be a bumpy ride." he said as Kiyo flapped his wings with Atem hanging on to him.

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The dagger was still aimed at Tea as she stood in her place trying to figure out what she can do, but from the way things were looking, it was impossible to come up with anything. Even though things seemed hopeless now, Tea still kept her word to keep fighting no matter how the outcome was. Jouta gave a smirk as he kept his eye on Tea with his dagger ready to fire.

"This would have turned out differently princess if you just reconsidered surrendering yourself to my lord." he said. Tea kept her glare and tried to summon another energy orb again, but whenever she does, it would just vanish. She formed another one again, but it wasn't working no matter how many times tried. Jouta was enjoying this and then started to laugh evilly.

"It's no point in trying anymore, thanks to that seal, you're useless without your magic. Say goodbye and don't worry princess, your energy will be going to good use. I guess you can say you'll be helping out with Lord Gypusei's reign from beyond the grave." he said. Jouta threw the dagger adding some of his wind power into to make it accelerate through the air. Tea couldn't move, she stared at the flying dagger that was coming for her. Closing her eyes, she knew there was no way of dodging it seeing as how it was aiming for her so fast.

**CLANK!**

Tea gasped and opened her eyes only to be met with a golden blade that shielded her from the dagger. The blade was glowing and it reminded her of the same glow from her dream, knowing now that tonight's events right now were from the premonitions she had in her dream.

"Don't you touch her!" Tea knew that voice so well and thought she would never be able to hear it again. Atem was standing right in front of her carrying what appears to be a sword she's never seen before. Atem looked behind him to look a her.

"Are you hurt?" he asked gently. Tea shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. I'm glad you're here." she said. Atem smiled and nodded.

"Just stay behind me, I'll take care of him." he said turning back to Jouta who was showing an emotionless stare. Kiyo ran over to protect Tea as well by standing next to Atem going into a battle stance.

"It's alright princess, we're here to help you." he said. Tea not recognizing who this panther was at first, but looking at the certain features of him, she recognized him very well.

"Kiyomichi?" she whispered. Kiyo turned to give her a smiled and a light chuckle.

"The one and only, now let's take this guy down. With all of our powers combined, we'll be able to take Jouta down in one shot." he said. Tea sadly shook her head.

"I can't...there's something wrong and I can't summon them." she explained. Atem and Kiyo turned to her with wide eyed expressions.

"What?!" they both said. Jouta took this chance and laughed evilly causing them to look at him, two with glares and one with a very, very deadly glare.

"It is the truth, the princess has a seal on her from the attack that Kiyori placed on her arm and now there is no way for her to use her magic. It makes it very easy for us to deliver her to Lord Gyousei. I would have done away with the job had it not been for the two of you showing up, so since I'm out numbered, I will be taking my leave. Mark my words though, this isn't the end. My lord will have her energy one way or another." he said. Forming a dark portal, Jouta turned to walk inside it. When the portal vanished, Atem quickly turned to Tea and hugged her thankful that she was alright. He pulled back to make sure she wasn't injured any worse than she was.

"I was so worried when you didn't come back inside, how did you end up out here?" he asked. Tea shrugged.

"I don't know, to tell you the truth I don't remember walking out here. One minutes I was standing in front of the Game Shop and the next I showed up in the park. It was then I found out that Jouta was the one that brought me here." she said.

"Tea, Jouta said something about a seal that was placed on you preventing you from using your powers." he said. Tea nodded.

"Yeah, he said that when Kiyori grazed me with her fire attack, it somehow did more than just burn me." Atem looked down at her still bandaged arm.

"Maybe we should check your arm to see how bad it is." he said. Both Tea and Kiyo agreed and Tea slowly unwrapped her bandage on her arm. It was nothing but silence as Tea continued taking it off. When she finally revealed her arm, all three of them gasped at what they saw.

For on Tea's arm...was a kanji symbol for darkness glowing an evil dark purple color.

**Another chapter finished. What does this mean for Tea and her powers? Will she regain them again? You'll just have to find out in the next chapter, make sure to leave a review and tell me how you liked it.**


	5. Kiyori's Comeback

**Hey guys, here's the next chapter for you all to enjoy. Thanks to everyone who placed their reviews:**

**dancers of the night**

**Celeste5502**

**Lucky Girl Dragon Wielder**

**Daishirokiba**

**Ruize**

**takerschick**

**fantasia-49**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or the song "Dreamscape" from the anime Tsubasa Chronicles.**

**Summary: In another world thousands of years ago, there lived mystical creatures who lived peacefully, that was until a dark evil presence threatened to take over. He almost succeeded, until a beautiful princess who saved the creatures from his evil wrath. Now 10,000 years into the present time, he has come back to finish what he's started and also get revenge on the one who stopped him.**

**Chapter 5**

From up on the rooftop on a tall building, there was Nagaharu standing as he waited for Jouta to meet him after his encounter with the princess. He turned around when he heard something behind him and saw the dark portal forming with Jouta walking out and standing next to him. They were both silent for a few minutes until Jouta broke the silence by turning to Nagaharu with a emotionless glare.

"You didn't take care of those interfering pests, especially that pharaoh. It was your job to keep them locked inside that house." he said. Nagaharu turned to Jouta so fast, he thought he would get a whiplash and he gave Jouta a glare of his own, but it was much more menacing than his.

"Hey, I made sure that my barrier kept them inside until you were finished draining the princess! How was I suppose to know that stupid pharaoh of hers would break it?" he said.

"You already knew he had powers of his own, you should have taken care of him first before you even worried about the others." Nagaharu grabbed Jouta's cloak in a vice grip showing just how angry he was.

"Look, I'm not the only one who's at fault here, if you would have gotten the princess's energy quicker instead of stalling, we would have delivered her to Lord Gyousei by now." Jouta placed his hands on Nagaharu and wrenched them off of his cloak.

"I appreciate it if you didn't touch me. There's no time to be dealing with this anymore, now that the pharaoh has a new power, our chances of getting the energy will be much more difficult seeing as how he will be protecting the princess. No matter though, with that mark on her arm, it will be even more difficult for the princess to use her magic. We will just have to increase our forces and take them down." he said.

"Yeah, whatever. Better report back then." Nagaharu said. So making another dark portal, they walked through disappearing into the world of darkness.

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Atem, Tea and Kiyo flew back to the Game Shop where everyone was waiting and were relieved to see they were alright. They were now all sitting in the living room talking about the events that went down after Tea disappeared. Not only that, but they were talking about the mark on Tea's arm which has become a major issue. Atem was sitting next to Tea watching as she was looking at her arm deeply concerned. He then turned to his new sword he was still holding onto, wondering just how he managed to form such a powerful weapon. He wasn't the only one who was looking at the amazing sword though.

"That's one awesome looking sword you got there Atem." Joey said. Atem nodded while keeping his eyes on it and lifts it slightly so that it was shining in the light.

"But, how did you manage to bring it out Atem? You were never able to do that before." Yugi said.

"I don't know, it's confusing me too. I knew there was something flowing inside me, but I didn't have that in my mind. All I could think about was finding a way to reach Tea in time before something happened to her. No other thoughts cluttered my head and I could care less about the pain that was forming in my hand. I just wanted something that would help me protect Tea." Atem said.

"It was your heart's greatest wish, by wanting to protect Tea, a power inside you surged through making you create such an extraordinary weapon. Your love, courage and determination are all fused together in that sword you're carrying now." Shirabe said. Tea turned to Atem next to her and the got a good look at his sword for the first time since they been back in amazement.

"You were really worried about me, weren't you?" she asked. Atem raised his head to Tea shocked that she would ask him that.

"Of course, I was extremely worried about you. Nothing was going to keep me from being away from you." he said wrapping his arm around her to bring her closer. Tea felt a little better when Atem hugged her close, but she was still deeply bothered by the symbol on her arm. Looking down, she moved it where the mark was now in plain sight for everyone to see.

"I feel so worthless now, how am I suppose to get my powers stronger if I can't even use them?" Tea asked. Shirabe and Kiyo looked at her with deep concern as well.

"Yeah, that is a problem. I think that this is what Gyousei planned to do in the first place, there's no telling what other schemes he thinking of." Kiyo said.

"Is there a way for that mark to come off of Tea's arm?" asked Yugi. Shirabe nodded.

"Yes, there is a way to take off the barrier placed on the princess, but it's not going to be that simple." Shirabe said. Everyone was looking at her in confusion as to what she meant.

"What are you talking about?" Tristan asked.

"We have to go into the dimensions of our home world to get a powerful orb called the Cosmic's Orb that will break the barrier. Not only will it take it away, it will also give Tea a new level of power, but..." Kiyo stopped as he looked down dreading to answer anymore which was making everyone anxiously worried.

"But what?" Atem asked. This time, Shirabe spoke.

"Once Tea accepts the orb's power, she'll have to go through a trial because the orb won't accept someone just like that. It chooses whether the person is worthy and strong enough to handle the power. If the task is a success, then Tea's powers will be much stronger." she said.

"And...what happens if it fails?" Tea asked the one question that was running through everyone's mind. They were getting more nervous when Shirabe didn't answer right away, but when she lifted her head to look at them all, she finally answered.

"If you shall fail princess...then you will die." she said. Everyone gasped and Tea sat there with a wide eyed expression not blinking or saying a word. Atem clenched his fist from what he heard, Joey and Tristan were shaking in rage and Yugi was the same as Tea.

"You mean to tell me that this thing could make Tea lose her life? There's got to be something else that will take that mark off her arm!" Joey said.

"If there was another way, then we would gladly tell you, but this is the only possible way. It will be dangerous, yes, but it will be even more dangerous if we don't hurry and take that mark off of Tea. We don't know what else it will do to her the longer it stays on her." Kiyo said.

"So you're just going to use this orb thing on Tea like she's some sort of guinea pig!? You both have magic, isn't there some spell you can use?" Tristan said.

"Magic isn't always as easy as you think it is. There are certain limits to when there is a situation like this." Shirabe explained. As the conversation was going on, Tea had her eyes hidden by her bangs and her hands clenched tightly in her lap.

"Oh, so it's okay to put Tea's life on the line, right!?" Joey said standing up from his seat. Kiyo growled and glared at Joey.

"You make it sound like we _want_ something to happen to our princess! We're doing our best to help her and to make sure that nothing happens!" he said. Tristan also stood up from his seat.

"Yeah, you're doing a great job so far!" he said sarcastically.

"If you have a better idea, then I would love to hear it right now!" Kiyo yelled.

"That's what you two are for since you're suppose to be the experts at this type of thing!" Joey yelled back.

"STOP IT!" Everyone was shocked from the outburst that came from Tea and all eyes were turned to her. She was standing up as well feeling very upset.

"Just stop it, okay!? I don't want to hear anymore of this! No one needs to decide what's best for me because I need to decide that on my own!" Tea yelled, but suddenly, the mark on her arm started to glow dangerously and it caused Tea to clutch her arm and moan in pain. Atem slowly eased her to sit down and brought her head to lay on his shoulder.

"What's going on!?" Yugi asked.

"It's the kanji symbol, it's reacting much sooner than I thought. Because it's on Tea's arm, it's slowly eating her energy away. If we don't act fast, then it will completely drain her." Shirabe said. Tea raised her head slightly to look at Shirabe and Kiyo.

"If this orb...is what's going to help me...then I'll accept it." she said. Atem hugged her a little tighter feeling more concerned about her decision.

"Are you sure Tea?" he asked. Tea looked up at him and nodded.

"I have to, this is my only chance and it's a risk I'm willing to take." she said. Joey and Tristan both sat down all having sad expressions for their friend wishing that there was some other solution for her. Shirabe walked over and nudged Tea's hand and purring when Tea began to rub her head.

"There is no need to have any worries Tea, you have a pure soul and I know you'll pass the trial. Kiyomichi and I will be traveling to our dimension to retrieve the orb and bring it back for you, but the journey will take about two days. We will, however, return as quickly as we can for you princess." she said. Kiyo turned around to create a portal for him and Shirabe to pass through. It was glowing a pure, heavenly color that shined in the room. After Shirabe walked over to Kiyo preparing for their departure, they turned to look at everyone else before they stepped forward.

"We'll be back, please keep the princess safe until we return." Kiyo said.

"We will, just make sure you both be careful." Yugi said. Joey and Tristan stood next to Yugi while Joey gave them a thumbs up.

"Yeah and make sure that orb is back safe and sound." he said. After giving one more encouraging look at Tea, Kiyo and Shirabe both walked through the shining portal to travel to their world. When the portal closed, it was nothing but silence for a few moments. Just then, Tea pulled out of Atem's embrace and stood up from her seat turning to the others.

"Listen, I'm sorry guys for that outburst. I need to be alone for a little while, okay?" she said. Walking upstairs, Tea didn't notice the stares on her or if she did, then she didn't care at the time and just continued on up.

"Man, I've never seen Tea this down before." Joey said.

"Well you would be the same if some glowing orb was going to determine whether you live or die." Tristan said.

"I wish there was another solution for her, it's not fair that Tea has to go through this." Yugi said. Atem kept his gaze at the stairs making like Tea was still there and sighed. He wanted to follow her up and just hold her, but he knew right now that it was best that she spent some time to herself so that she could clear her mind and process everything. Turning to Yugi, Joey and Tristan he sat back down and leaned forward so that his arms were resting on his legs.

"There's no way I'm going to let Tea go through this on her own. Let's give her some time to herself, I'll check on her in an hour." he said. Agreeing with Atem, they all sat down trying to find something to do. Forty-five minutes later, Joey and Yugi were in the middle of a duel and Tristan was watching TV. Atem didn't pay any attention to all of that since he was too busy having Tea on his mind. How was she really taking all of this? What was she really feeling right now? Every five minutes, he would glance at the stairs hoping to see her coming down, but no such luck. After the last fifteen minutes went by, he decided to go on up and check on her. So leaving the room, Atem made his way on upstairs to his room knowing that was where Tea would be.

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Tea was sitting in front of the window in Atem's room just staring outside. It had started to rain and she watched the drops slowly flow down the window like little mini waterfalls, but as she was watching the rain, she couldn't seem to stop thinking about the whole conversation from earlier. In order to have a barrier taken off her, she has to go through a trial and at the same time, have her life being put on the line. A test on whether she will live or die. Tea was brought out of her thoughts by a light knock on the door and turned to see Atem coming inside. He smiled and closed the door behind him giving them both a some privacy and went over to sit next to her. Taking her hand in his, Atem intertwined their fingers together and looked at her.

"You okay?" he whispered.

"Yeah...no...I don't know. Can't really think right now." she whispered. Atem then laid his head on top of Tea's as they watched the rain together.

"Then don't think, tell me what you're feeling." Tea just kept staring outside quietly not saying anything else as she felt the emotions that were building up inside her, but her face took on a blank stare. She then lifted her hand and tried to bring out her powers even though she knew she couldn't because of the mark. That wouldn't stop her, so focusing on her energy, Tea tried to make an energy orb, but it would just disappear like before. Trying again, to create another one and the same thing would happen, but it didn't make her stop.

"Come on, come on, come on, why won't you work?" she said desperately. Atem was watching as Tea tried with all her might to bring out her powers and was so heartbroken by her struggle. Tea tried again and again and again, but it wasn't working and it just made her emotionally upset at the fact that there wasn't anything she could do. Even though it was impossible, she still kept going.

"Come on please, please just work!" she said. When it still wasn't working, Atem put his arms around Tea bringing her to his chest making her stop. When she was in his embrace, she broke down crying uncontrollably while Atem rocked her back and forth.

"It's going to be okay, I promise it will be." he said.

"I'm so scared Atem, there's no telling what's going to happen." she said. Atem closed his eyes and calmed Tea down with soothingly by rubbing his hand up and down her back.

"It's alright to feel scared." When Tea was a little bit calmed down, she lifted her head to look at Atem.

"I need you to promise me something." she said.

"What is it?" Tea made a grab for Atem's hand and hugged it close to her chest after she placed a kiss on it.

"Whatever happens, I want you to promise that you'll always remember our moments together." she said. Atem just stared at her for a few minutes before he shook his head making Tea feel confused.

"I can't promise you that."

"Why not? Atem I need you to do this for me, please." Atem raised his other hand and slid it down Tea soft cheek rubbing away any existing tears on her face. He leaned forward to capture her lips in his kissing her slowly and bringing a sigh from her. Pulling back, Atem smiled down at her.

"I can't promise you that because nothing is going to happen to you."

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you, trust me. You still have that faith, don't you? Because I feel it so strongly right now and I want you to feel that way too. There is something that I can promise you though. I'm going to be right by your side when you need me and so will the others." he said. Tea smiled and and wrapped her arms to hug Atem around his waist feeling his arms around her too.

"Okay, thank-you Atem." she whispered. Feeling exhausted from crying, Tea closed her eyes without noticing and fell asleep in Atem's arms. Atem looked down at her peaceful, sleeping face and chuckled lightly. Running his hand slowly through her hair, he kissed her forehead and took the blanket that was laying on the chair beside him to wrap it around them both. Taking one final look at the rain outside, Atem closed his eyes to join Tea in a peaceful slumber.

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Coming back to the dark dimensional fortress through the portal, Jouta and Nagaharu both walked out and entered into room where Gyousei was. Kiyori was also inside as well and looked up seeing them both stand next to her as she smirked.

"So, where's the princess?" she asked taunting them. Jouta kept up his composure, but Nagaharu just glared at her.

"If you must know, we had an unexpected set back. Somehow that pharaoh of hers broke through my barrier and now he's got some new power up his sleeve. If it wasn't for this guy over here, we would have had her by now." he said looking at Jouta.

"Listen Nagaharu, if you're going to be pointing the fingers, then why don't we point one at you for not keeping those fools inside your barrier when you were suppose to." he said. Nagaharu growled and was about to say something else when Gyousei turned to face them all. The three of them bowed down and looked up to meet his gaze.

"So I see that capturing the princess was a failure again, but there seems to be an upside, am I right Jouta?" he asked.

"Yes my lord, it appears that the attack from Kiyori in their last battle made the princess have a mark on her where it is blocking her from using her powers." Gyousei suddenly smirked and turned back to his floating souls.

"I see, and you say that you were unable to capture her because of an interference?" he asked.

"Yes, the pharaoh got in the way of my attack by blocking it with this new mysterious sword of his." Turning back to face them again, Gyousei still kept his smirk letting out an evil chuckle.

"Well then, looks like we just have another reason to get rid of him." Kiyori stepped forward and bowed in front of Gyousei.

"My lord, with your permission I would like to go back and finish off the princess. I want to be able to complete what I was set out to do." she said. Gyousei just stared at Kiyori and nodded.

"Very well Kiyori, but I don't expect anymore failure." he said.

"You won't have to worry about that my lord, I promise you." she said.

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Two days have passed and Tea decided to walk around for a little while in the park. The sky was clear and the air was fresh, just what she needed to clear her mind. Kiyo and Shirabe were to be coming back tonight with the power source to help take the barrier off of her arm so that she would be able to use her powers again. Luckily, there wasn't any surprising attacks from the Shadow Demons or Gyousei's henchman. As Tea was walking, she heard laughter coming from her left and turned to see small children running around playing tag. She smiled knowing that they were so carefree, no worries clouded their little heads and Tea thought to herself just how lucky they were. None of them had to worry about any evil sorcerer coming for them or whether they were going to live another day or die right then and there by a decision of some magical orb.

Tea decided to sit down under a huge sakura tree and just mellow out by closing her eyes while feeling the breeze blow through her hair and listening to the sounds of nature soothing her worries for now. She opened her eyes when she heard someone walking to her.

"There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you." Tea smiled when she knew that the voice belonged to none other than Atem. After he sat down next to her, he leaned over and kissed her before settling down beside her against the tree.

"Hey, is something wrong?" she said with a little smile. Atem smiled back and shook his head.

"No, just wanted to see how you were doing. You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, just wanted to clear my head. I know that Kiyo and Shirabe are coming back tonight and I want to have some time to forget things for a while." she said. Just then, her arm started having that same pain run through and she bit her lip in order to keep the whimper in so Atem wouldn't notice. Unfortunately for her, Atem did notice.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Tea put on a smile letting him know that she was okay.

"Nothing, I'm fine don't worry." she said. Atem didn't believe her and pulled her closer to his chest.

"No you're not. It's that mark on your arm again, isn't it?" Tea sighed knowing that she couldn't fool Atem that easily and nodded.

"The pain comes every now and again. Sometimes for a brief moment, but other times, it would be so intense that I can't even bare the feeling."

"I wish I can take your pain away myself, I hate seeing you suffering like this." Tea smiled while closing her eyes breathing in Atem's scent and sighing comfortably against him.

"I'm still a little frighten that the orb might not work." she said. Atem was quiet for a second before he suddenly stood up bringing Tea to her feet as well.

"I have an idea and this was the reason why I wanted to find you. I figured it would take your mind off of everything if we spent the day together." he said while taking Tea's hand and leading her out of the park.

"Sure, that's a good idea, but where exactly are we going to go?" Atem chuckled and winked at her.

"Wherever we're inspired to go. Life's an adventure, remember?" he said quoting her from their date before the Battle City tournament began. Tea laughed and it was the first time in a while that she was able to laugh like that.

"I can't believe you remembered that." she said. Atem laughed along with her.

"Well, someone very special said that to me one time and it's still locked in my most treasured memories." he said. Tea blushed and looked away shyly as she wrapped her hands around Atem's arm and leaned on his shoulder as they walked out of the park.

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Atem and Tea were all around the city just like they did when they went out to help Atem find answers about his past, only this time they were enjoying their date as a couple. Atem watched Tea and smiled as her eyes sparkled whenever they passed something that caught their attention. He loved seeing her like this and even if it was only a few hours, he was happy knowing that she was happy for the moment. The day was passing by and before they knew it, the sun was going down. Atem had one more place he wanted to take Tea though and he took her hand making Tea giggle and wonder where he was taking her.

"Where are we going now?" she asked. Her question was answered when Atem led her inside a lounge cafe. Tea eyes sparkled so brightly seeing just how big the place was. When you come inside, you would see a counter on the side where the waitresses were placing orders for the customers. Following next to that was a mini dance floor with a jukebox against the wall, then over on the other side were sofas and tables for the customers to sit on as they talked.

"Wow, I never knew this place was here." Tea said as she and Atem walked inside.

"I didn't either until I saw it open a week ago." They both sat down on the lounge sofas while looking around the comforting atmosphere. There wasn't many people inside, but it was still enough to where business was running smoothly. Tea looked over to the dance floor where she watched a couple dancing to a fast beat song. The dance was about over and when the song ended, the couple went back to sit down at their table. Atem was also watching the couple and turned to Tea with a playful smirk.

"You up for a little dancing?" he asked. Tea looked at Atem a little shocked when he asked her that.

"You mean right now, with you?" Atem nodded while keeping his smirk.

"Yeah, why not?" Tea let out a light giggle.

"No offense Atem, but I haven't really seen you dance before." she said. Atem then stood up and lent his hand out to her and pull her up. He walked over to the dance floor making Tea stand in front of him placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Well, it looks like you're going to see it today." he said. Going over to the jukebox, Atem looked through the list of songs for the perfect one to dance to. He then found one and pressed the button for the song to play. He walked back over to Tea and placed his hands on her hips making her blush. She then looked around the cafe seeing the customers and saw their eyes on them.

"Atem...everyone's watching." she whispered. Atem leaned down until he was close to her ear.

"Then why don't we give them a show?" he whispered. Tea felt a shiver run through her body and nodded slowly. So she placed her hands on his shoulders they both started to dance.

_mita koto no nai kusa no umi ga  
giniro ni yurete zawameite  
yume to utsutsu no  
sakaime atari no keshiki_

Tea was amazed at how Atem was moving along with her. She never knew that he was such a good dancer until now.

_kimi ni deau tame?  
sore tomo mada mienai  
dareka no hitomi no tame  
kaze wo wakete yuku  
dream scape_

Atem smiled as he saw the amazement in Tea's eyes from his movements, but he was just getting started and soon he would surprise her a few moves up his sleeve.

_mou sugu naru ne  
mezamashi no oto  
demo sono saki mo mada  
yume kamoshirenai ne  
daji na mono wa doko ni  
itatte amari kawaranai yo ne_

As the song was starting to take up the beat, Atem twirled Tea around and brought her back to his chest making Tea blink a few times in surprise while Atem smirked.

_mezamete mo mada  
koko ni iyou to omou yo  
sore ga yuuki to  
iu mono ga to omou yo_

_kurasugite mienai dake sa  
in my..._

The customers were all gawking at Atem and Tea seeing how well they danced together. Tea still had her surprised expression, but she didn't want Atem to have all the fun so she gave a smirk of her own and turned the tables.

_nakitakute nakute hatte atta  
mune no sasakure ni  
imagoro oikakerarete  
iki mo tsukenakute_

Tea, keeping her smirk, looked at Atem in his eyes seeing him watching her with an intense stare that she's never seen before. It was somewhat of a passionate stare. She stepped back a little and moved her hips to the beat of the song.

_shigamitsuiteta shinjitsu ga  
boroboro ni karete ochiru made_

Atem's eyes widen from Tea's movements and grinned from the way she turned the dance in her favor, but he wasn't going to let her keep the lead for long. So pulling her to his chest with her back facing him, he took her hands in his and raised them up as they dance so closely. Tea looked behind her and could see Atem aiming for her lips. She went to meet him half way, slowly. It was only an inch before their lips touch until the music started to take up the beat again.

_ima chotto ni mienai dake sa..._

Atem twirled Tea out as he spun out of their embrace as well. After they stopped spinning, they locked their gaze with each other.

_genjitsu datte yume datte kimi  
wo mayowaseru dake dakara sa_

Coming back from their corners, Atem took Tea's hand pulling her in and twirling her around and bringing her back to his chest.

_sakamichi no ue no magarikado  
ikutsu demo sono saki ni ikitai  
ongaku no naka ni shikanai  
fuukei no mukou e  
kurasugite mienai dake sa_

Atem put his hands back on Tea's hips when he turned her around to having her back against his chest as he guided her through the beat of the song moving his hips along with hers.

_yume no tsuzuki ni wa yume ga  
nanairo no meiro mitai ni  
onkai no nai kusabe ni  
uta wo mitsukeru tame ni_

_hirosugite me ga kurande mo  
utaisugite nodo ga karete mo  
mita koto mo nai kusa no umi wo  
tatoe kimi ga inakunatte mo_

_turu tu tu tu turu ia  
turu tu tu tu turu ia  
turu tu tu tu turu ia  
kurasugite mienai dake sa_

_turu tu tu tu turu ia  
turu tu tu tu turu ia  
turu tu tu tu turu ia  
sittin' in the silence..._

As the song was slowing down and playing its last notes, Atem held Tea close to him having her facing him again as he placed his hands on her back and Tea with her hands on his chest.

_sittin' in the silence...  
everlasting night breeze...(kurasugite mienai dake sa)  
sittin' in the silence...  
Dream Scape_

When the song ended, Atem and Tea finished their dance looking at each other bearing smiles. They were startled for a second when they heard the customers clapping from their performance and almost forgot they weren't exactly alone since they were caught up in their dance. Laughing sheepishly, Atem and Tea both took a bow making the customers clap harder for them.

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After they were applauded one last time, Atem and Tea left out to walk around for a little while before they had to go back and meet the others for the arrival of Kiyo and Shirabe. Tea was still telling Atem how amazed she was from him and all Atem did was chuckle lightly enjoying her happy, sparkling mood.

"You have to tell me how you learned to move like that, you were so incredible." she said. Atem placed his hand to rub his neck as he laughed.

"Well, since I had alot of time and didn't have anymore enemies to worry about, I thought I pick up a few things in case they ever came in handy for times like this." he said. Tea giggled.

"I'm getting a feeling that this wasn't a coincidence and that all of this was planned." Atem gave her an innocent look while grinning.

"Now what makes you say that?" he asked.

"My point exactly." she said. Both of them laughed again and Atem stopped for a second just to smile and see how happy Tea was now.

"You know, it's good to see you laughing again." Tea smiled and held Atem's hand.

"Well, I have you to thank for that." As they were walking, both Atem and Tea noticed that they arrived at the same bridge where they first went to together after dealing with Johnny Steps when he was beaten by Tea at the dance game. They decided to walk over to the rail and lean against it as they watched the sun and the glittering water that was reflecting it.

"This brings back alot of memories, doesn't it?" Atem asked. Tea nodded while gazing at the sun.

"Yeah it does, only this time there's no Johnny Steps to ruin the moment." They started to laugh again and Atem stood behind Tea wrapping his arms around her shoulders while she leaned back against his chest. Closing her eyes to enjoy the warmth, she broke the silence.

"I want to be able to enjoy times like this again." she said. Atem looked down at her and smiled.

"And you will."

"I know, that's why I have to believe I can get through this test. This is going to prove if I'm as strong as I need to be." she said. Atem held her tighter to him and kiss the top of her head.

"You _are_ strong Tea, your strength comes from your heart and spirit." he said.

"Well either way, I have to get my powers back. I can't just sit around and let this Gyousei guy take them from me and use them for his evil, I have to fight back."

"And I'll be right there with you when the time comes, I won't let you do this alone." Tea turned around in Atem's arms and wrapped her arms around his waist feeling him hug her back. She buried her face against his chest enjoying his comfort and sighed softly.

"If only time could stop for this one moment, just for a little while I would be so happy being in your arms like this." she said. Atem closed his eyes and swayed their bodies back and forth as if they were slow dancing.

"If I had the power to stop time, I would if that's what you wish." he whispered. Tea lifted her head and gave Atem a loving smile while she started to move her head up as Atem was leaning his head down so that their lips could connect in a kiss, but they didn't get a chance to touch because they were rudely interrupted.

"Aww, what a lovely scene. Too bad I'm going to have to cut it short." Atem and Tea turned to where the voice came from and found that it was Kiyori standing in the same spot where Johnny Steps stood the last time he interrupted them. Atem automatically stood in front of Tea in a protective stance not wanting her to get hurt and cast a glare to Kiyori.

"What are you doing here?" Atem asked coldly. Kiyori just stood there and laughed evilly.

"Well hello to you too handsome. Sorry we didn't have any time together from our last meeting, but you know duty calls. Now would you be a dear and step aside so that I could 'talk' to the princess?" she asked batting her eyes. Atem just scoffed not falling for her act.

"You're not coming anywhere near Tea, not if I have anything to say about it." Atem threw out his arm and suddenly his golden sword appeared for him. Kiyori was shocked for the moment before she suddenly smirked.

"Oh my, I didn't plan to come here and fight with you. All I want is to take the princess's energy for my master and then I'll be on my way." Atem gripped his sword with both hands feeling his power flowing through the blade.

"Well then it looks like we'll be fighting because I'm not letting you take Tea away." he said. Atem then felt Tea's hand on his shoulder and looked behind him to see her worried face.

"Atem, you can't. We don't know what she could be up to." Atem gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Turning back to Kiyori, Atem went into an attack stance. Kiyori sighed.

"I really don't want to do this, but you leave me no choice." So snapping her fingers, her Shadow Demons appeared and they surrounded Atem and Tea. Atem made sure that Tea was safely behind him before he slashed his sword killing about seven of the demons. Tea looked on helplessly wishing that she could offer her assistance to Atem by destroying the Shadow Demons too. Suddenly, Atem was knocked off balance and rolling on the ground as he was attacked out of nowhere by a demon on his left side.

"Atem!" Tea started to run over to help him up, but she was stoppd by Kiyori who floated over to her blocking her path.

"We meet again princess, this time though you're not as lucky as you were the last time. Like my little gift I left you on your arm? Call it a fashion statement, it's all the rage in my world." Tea just glared at her viciously.

"Sorry, it's not my style." she said.

"That's too bad, well not really cause I can do this." Kiyori held up her hand which was now glowing a dark aura and it caused the mark on Tea's arm to do the same. Groaning in pain, Tea felt herself become weaker as Kiyori was slowly draining her blocked energy. She was lifted up into the air feeling like her life energy was being sucked out of her making Kiyori laugh evilly.

"Yes, this is how you'll be when Lord Gyousei takes his revenge on you. You're just so weak." she said. Tea clenched her fist as she tried to fight off Kiyori's hold on her.

Atem was dealing with the Shadow Demons taking them out one by one, but no matter how many he took out, it seemed like two more would pop up in its place. Quickly casting a glance over to Tea, his eyes widened at what Kiyori was doing to her and it made his power boost up to another level. His sword glowed in a bright golden aura and Atem slashed his sword across engulfing the demons in a bright light and making them disappear. Once they were gone, he ran over to strike Kiyori.

Feeling a new power source, Kiyori looked behind her and jumped back just when Atem slashed her. It also made her lose her hold on Tea which the glow around her arm disappeared and she started to fall, but Atem caught her before she hit the ground. When Atem made sure that Tea was okay, he stood back up pointing his sword to Kiyori.

"You just made a big mistake, now I'm going to make you pay." he growled vicously to her. Kiyori smirked and waved her hand.

"As much as I love to stay and play with you handsome, I have to go back. Can't exactly fight against that big sword of yours, tootles." she said as she formed a portal behind her and prepared for her departure. Atem ran over to the portal about to strike, but was a second too late and it disappeared. Taking a few deep breaths, Atem went back over to Tea see her touching her arm and helped her to stand.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Tea nodded looking at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What about you?" she asked.

"I'm fine, but Kiyori took off before I could attack her." Tea looked over to the ocean seeing that the sun had gone down much more. Holding her arm much tighter, she turned back to Atem with a determined look.

"It's time Atem, it's time for me to get stronger. Whatever fears I was having before, they're now replaced with determination." she said. Atem smiled and leaned down to kiss her lips and pulled back after a few seconds.

"Then let's go meet with the others." Taking her hand, Atem and Tea made their way to the Game Shop to wait for the arrival of Shirabe and Kiyo.

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Stepping out of the portal, Kiyori walked over to Gyousei who was sacrificing more souls to go into the fire. He didn't notice her presence yet so she made herself known by bowing and speaking to him.

"My lord, I have succeeded in taking a little of the princess's energy. It's not much because the pharaoh stopped me, but I think this will help you a bit." she said. Reaching into her cloak, she pulled out a pure pink glowing sphere that was apart of Tea and let it float over to Gyousei who was now facing Kiyori and grabbed the orb to put it in the fire. The power made the fire grow intensely for a moment before it went back to it's normal level.

"Yes, this is exactly the energy I need for my body, but it's not enough. I must have more of it." he said.

"I will make sure to get more next time for you master." she said as she bowed again.

"See to it that you do and if the pharaoh and those friends of hers interfere again, dispose of them." he said.

"Yes, my lord." Kiyori stood up from her kneeling position and walked out leaving Gyousei to his ritual again. He then smirked as he felt the fire become much stronger than before.

"It's only a matter of time until I have my revenge. With power like this, I will be unstoppable." he said as he let out an evil cackle.

**Another chapter finished. Tell me how you like it in your reviews and I'll have the next one up as soon as I can, arigato.**


	6. The Cosmic's Orb

**Back again with the next chapter for you to enjoy readers, thanks to everyone who placed their reviews:**

**Lucky Girl Dragon Wielder**

**Celeste5502**

**takerschick**

**fantasia-49**

**Kaeleer's Heart**

**dancers of the night**

**yamiviva**

**stargirl**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!**

**Summary: In another world thousands of years ago, there lived mystical creatures who lived peacefully, that was until a dark evil presence threaten to take over. He almost succeeded, until he was stopped by a beautiful princess who saved the creatures from his evil wrath. Now 10,000 years into the present time, he has come back to finish what he's started and also get revenge on the one that stopped him.**

**Chapter 6**

The sky was now dark and Joey, Yugi and Tristan were all at the Game Shop waiting for Atem and Tea to return. They all planned to meet there for Kiyo and Shirabe to come back from their journey. Right now all three of them were waiting outside. Yugi was leaning against the door, Tristan was sitting on the ground and Joey was slowly pacing back and forth in front of them. Just then, Yugi looked up when he heard footsteps and saw that Atem and Tea were slowly walking up the path. Moving from his spot from the door made Joey and Tristan look at what Yugi was watching and turned to while sighing in relief of seeing their friends coming. All three of them met Atem and Tea halfway and noticed that they looked a bit worn out.

"Hey, you guys alright?" Joey asked.

"Yeah, we're fine. We had a bit of a run in with Kiyori not too long ago." Atem said. Yugi, Joey and Tristan gasped.

"No way, what happened?" Yugi asked.

"She managed to take some of my energy. Even though I can't use my powers, I feel myself getting a little weaker from the drain. This can't happen again, I can't let myself be brought down." Tea said.

"So you're ready for this Tea?" Atem asked. Tea nodded.

"Yeah." The five of them stood in silence for a moment thinking about what would happen very soon. Tristan looked up and broke the silence.

"How are we going to know when Kiyo and Shirabe will show up?" he asked. Just then as he asked the question, a bright golden portal appeared in front of them and for a second they all had to close their eyes for a second. When they got used to the brightness, everyone opened their eyes to see Shirabe and Kiyo in his smaller form coming out. When the portal disappeared, Kiyo gave a cheeky smile and flew over to land on Tea's head.

"Hey guys! How are you!? Tea, you look different, did you cut your hair?" he asked as flew in front of Tea's face. Everyone laughed and then turned to see Shirabe coming over as well smiling.

"Hello everyone, I hope that everything was alright while we were gone." she said. Judging by the looks on their faces, Shirabe and Kiyo could tell that something was wrong. They can also sense a difference in Tea's energy.

"A little of my energy was taken away by Kiyori." Tea said. Shirabe looked down with a face fallen expression.

"I was afraid this would happen, I'm so sorry Kiyomichi and I weren't here to protect you Tea." she said. Tea smiled and shook her head.

"It's alright, in fact if it wasn't for Atem, she would have gotten away with draining me completely."

"So were you guys able to find the orb?" Yugi asked.

"Yeah, we did. It was very hard to find since the Cosmic's Orb is very rare and not only that it's very powerful, but we managed to track it down and bring it back here safely." Kiyo said.

"It would be safer if we all went inside so that the process can begin." Shirabe said. Everyone nodded and went inside. Closing the door, they all gathered into the sitting area and Shirabe sat in front of everyone while Kiyo sat on Tea's shoulder. She closed her eyes and suddenly a blue mystical orb that had lightning bolts surrounding it appeared. Tea saw it and began to feel a little nervous, but feeling Atem's hand in hers made her remember what she needed to do.

"It is time for the trial to begin." Shirabe said. Kiyo flew over to Shirabe and faced the others. Just then, their eyes were glowing white with their pupils disappearing and whatever lights that were on magically turned off making the whole room dark with nothing but the orb giving off light. Tea was literally shaking and breathing heavily sensing the strong power that was presented in front of her, but she tried not to show it. So keeping her breathing under control, Tea stood up with the Atem and the others standing next to her.

"Whatever happens Tea, we got your back." Joey said.

"Trust yourself, you can do it." Yugi said.

"You got this in the bag." Tristan said giving her a thumbs up. Tea smiled feeling a little bit better knowing that her friends were behind her one hundred percent. She felt even more better when Atem turned her towards him.

"Remember what I said, okay? You're strong and you can conquer this. Just know that we're all right her for you." he said. Tea closed her eyes and hugged Atem with such emotion making him return the embrace. Slowly coming out of his arms, she turned to the others.

"Thanks guys, I feel more confident now." Tea then turned back to Shirabe and Kiyo.

"Please step forward princess." They both said together. Tea did what they said and walked forward until she was standing in front of the orb.

"Princess, as you know the Cosmic's Orb is a very strong energy source and it will only accept the person who is worthy of it's power. You will be feeling a large amount of energy which will be very hard to control so you'll be placed in a barrier that Kiyomichi and I will form around you. Are you ready?" Shirabe said. Tea nodded.

"Yes, I am." she said.

"Alright then, please claim the orb." Kiyo said. Tea took a deep breath and lifted both of her hands. The orb magically floated over to her and Tea closed her eyes feeling the orb start to enter her body. Atem, Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Shirabe and Kiyo were watching the process happening. When the orb fully entered Tea's body, it was nothing but silence for a moment. The silence was so thick, you couldn't even cut a knife through it. After what felt like an eternity, Tea's eyes snapped open showing that they were glowing the same color light blue as the orb and she was screaming in agony.

**"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"** Tea's body was surrounded by lighting bolts and she was thrashing while falling to her knees.

"Kiyomichi, the barrier NOW!" Shirabe yelled. With their combined powers, Kiyo and Shirabe created a barrier to form around Tea keeping her safely inside. Atem and the others looked inside and helplessly watched as she curled up in a fetal position.

"Tea... I never seen her like this before!" Yugi said.

"Hey, that thing is hurting her!" Joey said.

"Just how powerful is this orb!?" Atem asked.

"Extremely, it's the most powerful source in the entire dimension! That's why we have the barrier placed around Tea!" Kiyo said.

"Isn't there some way you guys can help her!? You know make it easier so she doesn't have to go through this pain!" Tristan said.

"Impossible, once the orb has taken effect, it's not reversable! There are two stages that Tea has to go through, right now this is the first stage. The orb has to get settled into her body for it to begin the process. Usually no one survives the first stage because the energy is so intense once it enters the body." Shirabe explained.

"I wish that we could help Tea, but this is something that she has to accomplish on her own." Kiyo said. Atem glanced inside the barrier placing his hand against it as he watched Tea suffering so much, still screaming from the intense power. He and the others watched how the orb was taking effect of her body. Atem looked over to Shirabe and Kiyo seeing them watching Tea as well and spoke.

"How long is she going to be this way?" he asked. Shirabe was silent for a second before she looked at Atem.

"The first stage of the process could take a while. The orb is slowly spreading out inside of Tea's body, it's detecting her energy points."

"Energy points?" Yugi asked.

"Yeah, see the orb finds the points and fuses it's power to Tea's energy. Even though she's in pain right now, she's actually doing pretty well. Normally, someone who finds the Cosmic's Orb thinks that they have the entire world in their hands, but it causes them to lose their life because they only want it for greed. Since Tea has a pure energy, the orb isn't rejecting her. It won't be long until Tea passes on to the second stage, but she still has a long way to go and the second stage is just as hard as the first." Kiyo said.

"What happens in the second stage?" Tristan asked.

"In the second stage, Tea will be in a meditation trance. During that time, she'll have to fight through many trials and find her new power. I'm not going to lie, it will extremely hard for her, but I know she'll make it through this." Shirabe said.

"She will, there's no doubt about it." Joey said. Atem kept staring at Tea seeing her continue to fight against the intense energy that was fusing with her. Not being able to just stand and watch anymore, he turned back to Shirabe and Kiyo.

"Open the barrier for me." he said. They looked at him with shocking wide eyes.

"We can't do that, it's too dangerous." Kiyo said flying in front of him.

"Listen, I have to be there with Tea. I broke my promise to her before and I'm not going to break it again. Please, I don't care about the dangers it doesn't matter to me. I just need to be with her so she doesn't know she's alone."

"I agree, maybe this will help Tea much faster having Atem in there with her." Yugi said.

"Besides, you guys are worrying about dangers, we've faced alot of them in the past so it's nothing new to us." Joey said with Tristan nodding in agreement. Kiyo and Shirabe looked at each other wondering what to do and then turned to Tea still curled up in a fetal position and screaming in pain. They turned back and gave a look to each other both thinking the same thing. Facing Atem again, they nodded agreeing with his suggestion.

"Alright Atem, we will do anything for our princess and I know she would want you in there with her." Shirabe said.

"Thank-you, this means alot to me." Kiyo grinned while folding his arms behind his head.

"Well, let's just say Shirabe and I are suckers when it comes to love. We can't really deny your request no matter what the circumstances." Atem blushed a little and then smiled. So with the decision made, Shirabe and Kiyo both stood in front of the barrier and opened it enough where Atem could walk right on through. He was now inside and his eyes immediately landed on Tea. He rushed over and touched her, but it was hard since the lightning bolts were still surrounding her body. Not caring about them, he still touched her arm and in the process injuring his hands, but the pain was nothing compared to what Tea was going through. He could see her eyes moving a little and open up and they were still the same color light blue as they were when the orb disappeared into her body.

"A...tem?" she said in a straining voice.

"Yes, it's me." he whispered. Tea tried to move, but a shock wave of pain came rushing back and she tried to hold in her scream, but it was very difficult to do.

"I-it hurts!" Atem pulled Tea up and held onto her not caring about the lighting that was now starting to become much more intense.

"I know, but you can do this Tea." She thrashed her head around trying to do everything to stop the pain and Atem was doing his best to calm her.

"I-I can't!"

"Yes, you can. You're strong and you can overcome this." Tea tried to focus on Atem's voice which was giving her much comfort from the pain knowing that he was right next to her. She lifted her hand a bit so that it was touching his cheek.

"D-don't leave me." she whispered. Atem raised his hand to touch Tea's and gave it a light kiss before placing his forehead against hers.

"I won't, I promise." The intense pain that Tea was feeling was slowly disappearing, the lighting bolts around her body were also disappearing, but there was light blue aura surrounding her body and suddenly her eyes were getting very heavy. It was hard to focus on Atem and she was a bit terrified of what was happening.

"Atem...I feel like I'm...slipping away." As soon as she said that, her eyes shut closed. Atem eyes widened and he tried to wake Tea by shaking her a bit.

"Tea, wake up!" Kiyo flew in through the barrier and landed down near Tea so he could press his paw on top of her head. It took him a minute to sense her energy and sighed. Looking up at Atem, he nodded.

"It's okay, Tea's fine. She passed through the first stage and is now in the second. The stage will end when the meditation is complete and Tea regains consciousness." he said. Atem softly sighed and looked down again at Tea while keeping her much more closer to him.

"I'll be right here when you wake up, I'm not going anywhere."

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_Darkness; that was the only thing that Tea could see when she opened her eyes. She couldn't hear any sounds or see anything in this pitch black of nothingness and it was making her completely worried. All she could remember was feeling extreme pain and the comfort of what felt like someone's arms wrapped around her. Picking herself up from the ground, Tea looked down at her clothing to see a white sleeveless dress on her which was the only thing that could be seen in this sea of darkness. Just then, Tea felt something grab her waist and pulling her down in a kneeling position. She looked up to see evil yellow eyes. They seemed to be everywhere whenever she turned her head. _

_"Well, well it looks like we have another snack to feast on." Tea was shaking in fear when she saw the unknown creatures moving closer to her._

_"It seems that her soul wasn't strong enough, what a pity." All of them laughed menacingly and Tea tried her hardest of escaping and proving these evil, dark beings wrong. She could feel herself being surrounded and could feel them breathing against her skin making her shudder in disgust._

_'Tea.' She gasped suddenly when a voice called her name. _

_'Tea.' _

_'Who's calling me?' the voice that called her name again sounded just like a woman's voice. Just then, there was a giant ball of light floating down and the dark creatures hissed from the light while crawling away back to the depths of darkness. Tea was now free from being bound and was now standing in front of the light that suddenly appeared. She could see a figure standing with their hand out gesturing for Tea to take. She was unsure of whether to trust this person and she couldn't see the figure's face._

_'It's alright, I'm here to help you. Please take my hand Tea.'_

_'How do you know my name?'_

_'I will explain everything to you, just please trust me.' Tea was now certain that this person was a woman and it was the same one that called her name through the darkness. So not wanting to be here any longer, Tea reached out and took her hand. Once their hands touched, a blanket of warm light surrounded her and Tea felt herself being pulled into the portal._

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_When Tea opened her eyes again, she wasn't in the same dark environment where she was the first time. Instead, she was lying on soft, warm grass and when she sat up, she looked around seeing herself in some kind of mystical place. Tea couldn't find any sign of life anywhere or the voice that called to her from before. Slowly standing up, Tea walked over to the enchanted lake that was in front of her seeing how beautiful it looked from where she was sitting. Kneeling down to look at her reflection, Tea put her hands in the water and took a handful of it admiring the tiny sparkles that shined as if they were dancing in her hands._

_"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Tea gasped when she heard the voice that saved her and slowly turned around to see who it belonged to, but as she did, she let out another gasp when she saw that it was indeed a woman, but this woman looked...exactly...like...her. Except the only difference was that her hair was alot longer than Tea's. The woman gave her a gentle smile while Tea continued to gape at her._

_"Hello Tea." she said. Tea almost couldn't find her voice, but managed to speak after a long silence._

_"Y-you're...Princess Anzu...aren't you?" she said. The woman who now revealed herself as Princess Anzu nodded keeping her smile. She was also wearing a white dress, but her dress was much different than Tea's since she had long sleeves leaving the top of her dress showing her bare shoulders. _

_"Yes I am, it's nice to finally meet you face to face Tea."_

_"You're also the one who brought me here." Tea stated again._

_"Correct again, I had to reach you before those shadow creatures touched you. I'm glad I was able to get to you in time." Tea nodded, but she still had alot of unanswered questions in her head and it was as if Princess Anzu read her mind because she moved closer to her._

_"I know that there are things that you want to ask me and you're a bit confused on what's happening, but I'm here to assist you. First of all, do you remember anything before you were sent here?" she asked. Tea thought back and was able to remember part of where she was before._

_"All I remember was feeling pain and someone with their arms around me as if they were trying to give me comfort, then after that...nothing. Wait...no I remember more. I was with my friends, I was standing in front of a blue orb and that's how the pain started when it went inside me." _

_"That's good, you remember. It's makes everything much more easier now." Princess Anzu said._

_"I need to know how I got here, what is this place?" she asked. Princess Anzu slowly moved until she was standing in front of the lake. Tea turned to look at her, but she stayed in the spot where she was standing. She saw Princess Anzu sit down and dip her feet into the cool lake._

_"Please come join me Tea, I'll explain everything you need to know." she said in a kind voice. Tea slowly nodded and walked over to sit next to her, but she still felt a bit nervous and worried._

_"Relax, just relax and place your feet in the water." Tea did what she said and dipped her feet in the water as well. It was like when the water touched her, a sense of comfort and peace flowed through her body like the water held some sort of remedy for her worries._

_"This place is where I once lived in my past life, I brought you here so that you could begin your meditation." Tea looked confused when she heard this._

_"Meditation?" she asked. Princess Anzu nodded._

_"Yes, it's the second stage of your trial. You already succeeded in the first stage, you have a very strong spirit Tea." _

_"Thank-you, I'm honored that you brought me here, it's very beautiful."_

_"You're welcome, this was how my home was before the evil sorcerer Lord Gyousei corrupted it with darkness. Making sure that he didn't cause anymore heartache, I sacrificed my life energy in order to destroy him. I didn't expect him to live after all of these years and I never wanted you to get involved in this treachery, but I see that my companions have found you." Tea looked down at her reflection in the water while nodding._

_"Yeah, they did."_

_"How are they?" she asked. Tea smiled._

_"They're great, they really miss you and they've been really helping me in finding out my powers." Princess Anzu closed her eyes and gave out a sigh._

_"I have missed them as well, it broke my heart that day when I had to leave them and the other creatures of my world. Now Gyousei is back and is trying to take your life away just because I spoiled his plans and saved my world." Tea looked over to Princess Anzu._

_"How do you know what's been going on?" she asked. Princess Anzu just smiled and giggled._

_"I'm much closer than you think I am Tea, since you're my re-incarnation my soul rests within you. Now that the Cosmic's Orb is inside of you, we will now begin your meditation. Your energy has now become stronger and it's important that they're under control."_

_"Yeah, but as long as this mark is on my arm, I can't even summon my powers the way I want to." Tea said without looking at her arm knowing that the mark was still there. She was surprised when Princess Anzu laughed._

_"There's no need to worry about that Tea, look down at your arm." she said. Tea did as she was told and gasped because the mark on her arm was magically dissolving away. _

_"What's happening?" she whispered._

_"Since you passed the first stage, the mark automatically disappears, you are free to summon your magic now."_

_"Well that's a big relief, so what's the first thing we do?"_

_"This will be exactly like when you first discovered your powers, you have to focus on your energy and control it." Tea nodded and closed her eyes doing the same thing she did the first time when she brought out her powers. Lifting her hands, she formed a magical orb, but this time, her orbs were now blue since her magic was now up a new level. From such intense power, Tea couldn't exactly control it just yet and the orb flew out of her hands before she could stop it and the orb shot out to a nearby tree making it scar. Tea looked to Princess Anzu with an apologetic look._

_"I'm so sorry, I guess it's stronger than I thought." Princess Anzu giggled and held Tea's hands._

_"It's alright, no harm done. We just have keep trying, do exactly what you were doing only this time, concentrate and slowly bring out your energy. Once you get used to the new level, you'll be able to master it." she said. She then walked over to the damaged tree and lifted her hand which started glowing white and healed the tree. Tea watched in amazement at how quickly the tree was healed._

_"How did you do that?" she asked. Princess Anzu smiled when she turned back to Tea._

_"Time and practice, you can do it as well." _

_"Yeah, but probably not as good as you. I don't know if I could ever match up to you." Princess Anzu frowned and walked back over to Tea taking her hands and giving them a reassuring squeeze._

_"Tea, I don't expect you to do the things that I once did, I expect you to be you. You're much stronger than you let yourself to believe." she said. Tea smiled and nodded._

_"Okay then, so should I continue?" she asked._

_"Definitely, don't worry you'll get it and it'll be a cinch once you have it under control." Tea then let go of Princess Anzu's hands and stood back where she was. Taking a deep breath, Tea closed her eyes concentrating while Princess Anzu stood on the side and watched her closely. Tea brought her hands as if she was making a circle and in the middle was a blue energy orb that was beginning to form when it was growing bigger, she shot it out towards the sky watching it float away and then explode like fireworks which would cause major damage if she used it on an enemy. Tea smiled and turned to Princess Anzu who was bearing the same smile._

_"I think I'm getting the hang of this." she said._

_"I agree, keep doing the same thing you're doing and you'll have your powers mastered in no time."_

_"What about my other abilities?"_

_"Don't worry, we'll practice them too and also awaken your new ones." Tea stood with a confused look._

_"New ones?" she asked._

_"Yes, but we'll do that when the time comes."_

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Since Tea was in her meditation stage, it was now safe to take down the barrier that was around her and Atem. He and the others continued watching her, but there was no change since she went unconscious about three hours ago. They don't know how much longer it will be until Tea wakes, but they all stayed near her until she regains consciousness again. Atem still had Tea in his arms and refused to let go of her for anything. Just then, Tea's body began to glow blue which made everyone a bit worried of what was happening.

"What's going on?" Joey asked. Kiyo and Shirabe watched Tea closely and a few seconds of agonizing waiting went by, everyone watched as the kanji symbol on Tea's arm was slowly dissolving away like floating dust. Then once it was gone, the glow from Tea's body also went away. She was still unconscious, but now there was no sign of any evil barriers on her body giving a bit of comfort to everyone's worries.

"It's gone, the mark from her arm is completely gone." Atem said. Kiyo then flew over and touched Tea's head while his golden aura surrounded his body. After a few seconds, his glow disappeared and he smiled.

"She's doing excellent, it shouldn't be long until Tea wakes up!" he said excited.

"Alright, I knew she could do it!" Tristan said pumping his fist in the air.

"No doubt about that." Joey said and then he and Tristan gave each other high fives.

"So the orb is working, it's not going to reject her?" Yugi asked feeling just as relieved as everyone else.

"Yes, Tea is doing remarkably well. She has the most purest spirit and there was no reason that the orb could reject her because there is no evil in her soul. Now we just wait until the process is complete." Shirabe said. Atem smiled down at Tea's sleeping face and placed a kiss on top of her forehead which everyone smiled at knowing that Atem was the most worried than anyone else.

"Hear that Tea, you're going to be fine. I can't wait to see you open your eyes." he whispered.

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_Tea was now improving in controlling her magic and even though it was taking a bit of a strain on her, she just kept going until she got used to them. Her defense magic in creating her shield was much harder than the first time she tried it, but now she was able to bring it out very easily. Right now, she was on her flying disc keeping her balance while keeping control of it as well. The first time she summoned it, the disc disappeared and she ended up falling a few times, but after taking Princess Anzu's advice about focusing, she was able to stay on. Landing to the ground, Tea jumped off and the blue disc disappeared. She took a few deep breaths feeling very tired from the use of her magic for a long time. Princess Anzu came over and helped Tea to sit down on the grass giving her time to rest._

_"You're progressing very well Tea, I'm impressed with your rapid results." she said._

_"Thanks, I couldn't have done without your help." Princess Anzu shook her head._

_"No, it was all you Tea, I just offered the advice. Now there's still more you need to learn before you are completely ready."_

_"Is this about the new abilities you were talking about?" Tea asked._

_"Yes, you must hone these abilities before you are able to face Gyousei and his henchmen." Just as Princess Anzu said this, there was a slight movement coming from the bushes behind them and they both turned to see a little white rabbit coming out. Looking closely at the rabbit, Tea and Princess Anzu could see that he was injured. There was a twig stuck inside his foot and it was making it very hard for him to hop around. Princess Anzu stood up and walked over to pick up the rabbit and bring it back over to where she was sitting with Tea._

_"Oh you poor thing, you're hurt." she said. Tea was concerned for the little rabbit as well._

_"Is he going to be alright?" she asked._

_"All we have to do is take the twig out, but he has a serious injury. This is where you come in Tea." Tea gave her a confused look._

_"What do I have to do?" Princess Anzu slowly pulled the twig out so that she wouldn't startle the rabbit and she passed him over for Tea to hold._

_"I want you to heal him." she said._

_"Heal him? I don't think I can do that." _

_"You can, the power is inside of you, but it needs to be awaken and brought out. Just concentrate and think of nothing but healing the rabbit." Tea looked down at the little guy in her arms and nodded. Lifting her hand to place it on the rabbit's injured foot, Tea closed her eyes and focused on her power. She felt something warm stirring inside her and when she opened her eyes, she gasped seeing her blue energy around her hand. After a few moments later, the rabbit was fully healed and he hopped out of Tea's arms going back to where the other rabbits were._

_"You have now discovered your new ability, the power to heal. It's important to have this power controlled for when you go into battle, but using it too much will take a tole out on you so only use this power whenever means necessary."_

_"Alright, I'm just glad he's okay." she said. Princess Anzu smiled._

_"It was because of your concern that you were able to heal him, your powers also reflect on your emotions. There is one more thing that we have to do, please remove your scepter from around your neck." Tea nodded and took off her necklace and held in both of her hands. Princess Anzu closed both of Tea's hands and then kept her hands clasped around Tea's._

_"We must both focus all of our energy onto the scepter, so close your eyes and concentrate." Tea nodded and closed her eyes feeling her energy swirling inside her and stream out to her scepter. Her body glowed a blue aura and Princess Anzu's body glowed a white aura. Both of their energies fused together into the scepter transforming it into a whole new weapon. Once they felt like it was complete, they took their hands back and watched how Tea's necklace float above them and changing into a larger staff. The staff held a blue magical sphere in the center with white small crystal wings on the sides. There were also three small chains that were dangling on the staff, two on the crystal wings and one in the middle below the blue sphere. The staff floated back down and into Tea's hands where she admired the new transformation._

_"Since your powers are at a new level, your sceptor also changes into a powerful staff." Princess Anzu said. Tea looked at her newly transformed staff and her eyes laid on the three chains that looked as if they could hold something on them._

_"What are these chains for?" she asked. _

_"You'll know when the time is right. The process is now complete and your new powers have improved greatly, it's now time for you to return to your world." she said. Suddenly the sky turned dark and Princess Anzu created a portal of light that would return Tea back home, but she didn't walk through it yet._

_"Wait, what will happen to you? Will I ever see you again?" she asked._

_"I will be much closer than you think Tea, whenever you need me, I will assist you. Now hurry, the portal won't hold much longer and I know the people you love are waiting for your return." Tea nodded and gave Princess Anzu a hug._

_"Thank-you so much Princess Anzu, for everything." _

_"You are very welcome Tea, be strong and be careful in the battles that come. Trust yourself and the others around you." she said. Tea nodded and pulled out of the hug to walk over to the glowing portal. Giving Princess Anzu one last look, she went through and the portal closed behind her sending her back home._

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Another hour had passed since Tea went unconscious and everyone in the room was sound asleep. Atem was the only one who stayed awake while keeping his hold on Tea and stared at her sleeping face. He was beginning to feel drowsy and tried as hard as he could to keep himself alert in case Tea opened her eyes. He closed his eyes for a few seconds just to rest them a bit, when he suddenly felt a light twitch in his arms. Opening them again, Atem gasped as he heard a light moan from Tea and saw that her eyes were slowly fluttering open. Once her vision was clear, Tea smiled seeing the object of her affection staring back at her.

"Hey." she whispered hoarsley. Atem let out a light chuckle.

"Hi, are you okay?" he asked.

"Mm-hm, I'm fine but I'm a bit tired and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm a little hungry." she said. Atem smiled and hugged Tea closer to him relieved that she was awake and alright.

"You had me so worried, I'm glad you're alright." Tea hugged him back and pulled away so she could lay her hand against his face.

"I was a little afraid at first, but I knew that you were here giving me comfort." Atem leaned forward and kissed Tea on her lips both sighing at the feeling. Unfortunately, they didn't notice five pairs of eyes staring at them until they heard a cough which caused them to break their kiss slowly looking over at the others' sly looks. Laughing nervously, Atem helped Tea to sit up, but he kept her leaning against his shoulder. Kiyo flew over and landed on Tea's shoulder.

"You're awake, you passed the trial, you did it! Wow, I can feel a strong energy source from you Tea!" Kiyo said excitingly. Tea giggled and looked up to see Shirabe walking to her.

"Well done Tea, how are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm doing okay, I'm exhausted though from the meditation and the training I was getting from..." Tea stopped when she remembered about Princess Anzu.

"From who Tea?" Yugi asked. Tea looked up at the faces of her friends waiting for her to answer.

"Princess Anzu." she said. The whole room was full of gasps and Kiyo and Shirabe had wide eyes.

"Really Tea, you seen her?" Kiyo asked. Tea nodded.

"Yeah, I was in this dark place and I couldn't see anything around. It was like there was no life until these dark creatures came out and I panicked because I didn't know what was happening. Then all of a sudden, a light came out of nowhere and it was Princess Anzu that saved me from there. She brought me to this mystical world and that's when I first saw her. She looked exactly like me, it was like looking in a mirror. She was so kind and she helped me alot with controlling my new powers. My scepter even changed into a new staff." Tea reached to her neck and pulled out her newly transformed staff that swung around slowly on her chain. Joey stood up from his seat on the floor grinning.

"I say we celebrate for this, let's pig out on food!"

"Hey, I second that!" Tristan said.

"Count me in too!" Kiyo said. So the three of them dashed into the kitchen and it wasn't even a few seconds when Atem, Tea, Yugi and Shirabe heard a bunch of noises that meant a mess was being made.

"Hey guys, don't mess up my kitchen!" Yugi said running inside.

"Kiyomichi, this is not proper behavior!" Shirabe said running behind Yugi. Atem and Tea were no left alone, but they could still hear Shirabe and Yugi trying to calm Joey, Tristan and Kiyo down from their food frenzy. Atem shook his head and looked down at Tea, but when he did a smile slowly came across his face as he saw that she was fast asleep on his shoulder.

"Sleep well, my princess." he whispered.

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Back in the dark fortress, Kiyori was walking through the shadowed hallways celebrating inside at her success of getting a bit of Tea's pure energy for Gyousei. Just as she was walking back to her quarters, she felt something was a little off. Not knowing what it was, she stopped and sensed her surroundings. Nothing was wrong where she was standing or anywhere within the fortress, that's when it hit her. It was somewhere outside the dimension and it had something to do with the spell that she placed on Tea.

"No, that's impossible. There was no way that barrier could have been lifted so how did she get rid of it?" she said in a vicious voice. So turning back the opposite direction, Kiyori went back and warned her master.

"It's time I got rid of this nusiancce once and for all."

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, let me know in your reviews how you liked it and I will update as soon as I can.**


	7. The Fire Battle

**Hey readers, here's the next chapter for you all to enjoy, thanks to everyone who placed their reviews:**

**takerschick**

**Lucky Girl Dragon Wielder**

**fantasia-49**

**Ruize**

**dancers of the night**

**Celeste5502**

**Saphire Dragon Girl**

**Koragirl**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or the song Blood on Fire by AAA.**

**Thanks to Daishirokiba for offering the song choice for this chapter.**

**Summary: In another world thousands of years ago, there lived mystical creatures who lived peacefully, that was until a dark presence threaten to take over. He almost succeeded until he was stopped by a beautiful princess who saved the creatures from his evil wrath. Now 10,000 years into the present time, he has come back to finish what he started and also get revenge on the one that stopped him.**

**Chapter 7**

_The streets were empty, but she was the only one that walked through this deserted city. It was just as before, but this time there was a strange source of heat all around her. The heat was intense and no matter what she did, she couldn't seem to get herself cool from it. Just then, the buildings burst in flames and there wasn't any way of stopping them. She was suffocating, the flames were surrounding her body and she couldn't breathe. She was beginning to feel lightheaded and her eyesight was blurry. Looking up a few inches ahead of her was a figure that seemed very familiar to her. This person was evil, she could tell just by sensing the aura surrounding the figure. The face was clearing, but because of her vision, she couldn't tell who it was and before she knew what was happening, her body started to collapse to the ground seeing the flames and the figure one last time before she was engulfed in darkness._

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"WAKE UP TEA!!"

Tea was startled out of her sleep by a loud voice and looked up to see that it belonged to none other than Joey. Looking around dazed, she noticed that she was outside with Atem, Yugi, Tristan, Joey, Shirabe and Kiyo sitting under the secluded tree behind the school. Tristan bonked Joey on the head and glared at him while watching Joey grab his head in pain. Joey then glared back at Tristan.

"You moron, what ya do that for?!"

"_You're_ the moron, why did you have to scare Tea out of her sleep like that?! Are you trying to give her a heart attack?!"

"I did not scare her!" Joey yelled recovering from the hit he received on his head.

"Did too!" Tristan yelled back. Tea just stared at Joey and Tristan as they were throwing insults back and forth to each other still looking a little dazed. She didn't notice Atem looking at her until she felt his eyes stare at her and turned to see that she was right. He put his hand on top of her which was laying down at her side.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, how long was I asleep?" she wondered. Kiyo, from his place on Tea's shoulder, answered her question.

"Not long, I would say at least about 10 minutes." Tea sighed and ran her hand through her hair. Shirabe could tell from the way Tea's eyes looked that the training and the meditation she was undergoing since she received her new powers from the Cosmic's Orb two weeks ago was taking a huge tole on her. She could also tell just by sensing Tea's aura that she was a bit disturbed by something.

"Tea, is something troubling you?" she asked. The question made Atem and Yugi look at Tea waiting for her answer and Tristan and Joey stop their fight. Tea was silent for a moment before she let out a sigh and looked up to everyone else.

"I have something to tell you guys." she said. This surprised everyone and were very curious as to what Tea had to say.

"Lately I've been having these strange dreams. They're coming constantly every night and I just have this feeling that something is going to happen." she said.

"They could be visions of the future." Kiyo said.

"Yes, the dreams you are having Tea are premonitions. This is also a power that Princess Anzu had in her past life, it is very important to pay extreme attention to your dreams." Shirabe said. Tea nodded, but was still a bit tormented by the visions she had in her dream. Now there was no doubt in her mind that they would come true and she had to be on her guard for any kind of danger. Atem kept his gaze on Tea thinking the same thing. Whatever was going to happen, he was going to make sure that he was beside Tea all the way.

"Hey Tea!" Everyone looked over to the person that called Tea's name and saw three girls walking their way. Panicking at the fear of Shirabe and Kiyo being exposed, Tea quickly put Kiyo in her bag and Shirabe turned invisible making sure her presence wasn't known to them.

"There you are Tea, we've been looking for you." the first girl said. Tea blinked a few times wondering what they wanted her for.

"Uh, what's up?" she asked.

"Duh, don't you remember? You promised you teach us those new dance moves you came up with." the second girl said. Tea placed a hand on her head while smiling sheepishly.

"Oh yeah, sorry I guess I forgot. I'll meet up with you guys in a second." she said.

"Okay, we'll be waiting for you at the door." The three girls walked off leaving the others to sigh in relief of not being caught. Kiyo came out of Tea's bag and Shirabe reappeared again when the cost was clear.

"Man, that was a close one." Joey said.

"Yeah, it was a good thing they didn't expect anything out of the ordinary." Yugi said. Tea stood up from the ground and dusted off her skirt while she turned to the others.

"Sorry for leaving guys, but I got to go."

"Nah, that's alright Tea. We'll just see you when we see you." Joey said. Giving a nod to the guys, Tea picked up her bag once Kiyo hopped back inside and prepared to leave when she was stop by a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, her eyes met with Atem's amethyst ones. No matter how many times Tea looks at his eyes, she just can't get over how beautiful and mysterious they are.

"Try not to do too much, okay?" he said. Tea wondered what he meant by that, but then remembered just now about her exhaustion and the training she was under with her new powers. She smiled and was thinking how sweet he was for being concerned for her.

"I won't I promise, I'll see you later." She then gave Atem a kiss on his cheek and walked away to join the girls at the door. Atem kept watching Tea until she was completely inside and when he turned back to the others, he was met with their sly looks.

"Awww." they said which made Atem blush red in embarrassment since he forgot that they were all still sitting there.

"Shut-up." he muttered. Yugi, Joey and Tristan laughed.

"Don't be embarrassed Atem, it's great that you and Tea are together now." Yugi said.

"Yeah, we're happy for you two." said Tristan while Joey nodded in agreement as he gave a thumbs up. Atem smiled hearing his friends approving comments.

"Thanks guys." Shirabe smiled as well happy to know that Atem took her advice from the night that they talked about his feelings for Tea. It was wonderful to her that they were together and she thought that they made a beautiful couple. She also knew that even though she and Kiyo were protecting her from any evil darkness that comes from Gyousei, Atem will be there to protect Tea even more. Speaking of evil, Shirabe could detect that something wasn't right in the air and she tried to sense what it was. Shirabe didn't realize she was letting out a low growl and it made Atem, Yugi, Joey and Tristan look at her wondering what was wrong with her.

"Hey, what's up?" Joey asked.

"I am not certain, but I feel that there is a presence lurking around somewhere. It's faint, but it's definitely there." she said still staring at the sky.

"Do you think it's one of Gyousei's guys?" Yugi asked.

"It's a possibility, I better go and search the area for anything strange. Please, do not tell Tea about this yet until I am exactly sure of it. If it is Gyousei behind all of this, then we have to make sure that Tea is well protected and that she is prepared for anything that will be coming."

"Don't worry, the last thing any of us want to do is worry Tea. Just let us know as soon as you find out anything wrong." Atem said. Shirabe nodded.

"I will." With that, she made sure no other person was around and then she flew up into the sky scouting the area for the unknown presence. The guys watched as she flew off all having the same thought running through their heads.

"I don't know about you guys, but I have a feeling that this isn't going to be one of those usual fights." Yugi said.

"You're not the only one that's feeling it Yug." Joey said.

"Well whatever is going to happen, all I know is that Tea won't be fighting alone. So whoever decides to come and fight against her, they'll have to get through all of us first." Atem said determined. Yugi, Joey and Tristan all gave affirmative nods all showing the same determination as Atem was.

_'I won't let Tea get hurt like she did before, she's much stronger now, I can sense it. This time, I'll be there with her...just like she was there for me.' _Atem thought.

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A half-hour passed and Tea was still teaching the three girls the steps to the dance routine she came up with. So far it was a complete success and the girls were learning really fast. There was times through the dance though that Tea would pick up a weird feeling, but everytime she turned around, the feeling sort of disappeared. It reminded her of the day when she felt a presence when she first discovered her powers and was worried that it would happen again, but since her powers returned and they reached a whole new level, Tea was ready for anything that came her way. She wasn't going to let her friends be put in danger.

"Tea." She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard her name being called and turned to see the girls looking at her.

"Hey, you okay? You looked liked you went away to a different world just now." Tea gave out a nervous laugh and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about that pop quiz in algebra class I have to take. How about we run the routine one more time? I think you guys are getting the steps perfectly."

"Okay!" the three girls replied and they all stood back in their places. After repeating the song again, Tea stood in front of them to lead the dance one more time. They started to move in time with the first beat of the song.

_Atsuku tagiru kodou wo tomeru  
Justu nado miatara nakatto yo  
Kachime nante wakara nai  
Juu-bun Juu-rin dame datte makeru ki wa  
shinai no sa_

_Kono soul wo shake  
Show me ya way  
Don't brake go away  
Get on the stage  
Karada voltage furu ten OK  
Come on Come on every naughty boys!  
Rampage around as a rusher  
Hibana chira shi toba shi crush out  
Thrust all dasai no aside ya  
Stay cool  
Hikari no mukou he go break through!_

As Tea was dancing, she could feel herself becoming a bit tired from her training and now that she was dancing like this, it was definitely taking a tole on her. She did her best to hide it and it was working because the other girls were so caught up in their steps that they didn't notice.

_Hito wa dare datte kodoku na yami wo  
Hita hashiru MIDDONAITO RANNAA  
Yume oikakete  
Azayaka ni inochi moyashite _

_Come with me!_

_Young Bloods on Fire  
Tomadoi wo nugi sutete hashire  
Get back your true hearts  
Me mo kuramu you na SUPIIDO ni dakere  
You got a feeling "way out"_

_Tamara nai aseri to kitai ni  
Oshi tsubusarete shimai sou da yo  
Aitsu wa marude inaduma  
Bokura no DOGGU FAITO ni PIRIODO nai no sa_

_Aitsu no best one soresura hoedura  
Puffed babe nosabarasu ki desu ka?  
Mune no gaso rin mantan OK  
Get out and slap every wack'n'craps!  
BIITO kizamu kick-bass  
Are you ready for this?  
I'll kick your ass  
Pleasure treasure hori dasu soldier  
One way road gyakusou on and on!_

_Furimuka naide mae dake wo mite  
Atomodori wa deki nai  
Yume kizutsu itemo  
Tachiagaru toushi misete_

_Come with me!_

Tea was very impressed by how fast the girls were learning the steps. They were dancing as if they were all professionals themselves. Even though it looked liked she was alright, the truth was Tea felt like she was going to collapse at any moment if she didn't rest. From the seats below the stage, Kiyo peeked out from Tea's bag and noticed as well at the way Tea was moving. It wasn't how he saw her the first time he watched her dance, she wasn't as energized as she was then. So he had an idea of what to help her as soon as she finished.

_Young Bloods on Fire  
Itsuwari wo hagi totte tsukkire  
Get back your true hearts  
Hageshii jidai no SUPIIDO wo daite  
You got a feeling "way out"_

_Go straight far away don't be afraid!  
Ride on da time and big wave  
Say goodbye to da same night  
Anytime rock you eyes  
I'll make you fine  
No poor right!  
There're you and I  
With this BANGIN' play all night!  
Hey that's rude!  
Act the fool out the blue!_

_Come with me!_

_Young Bloods on Fire  
Tomadoi wo nugi sutete hashire  
Get back your true hearts  
Me mo kuramu you na SUPIIDO ni dakare  
You got a feeling "way out"_

_Young Bloods on Fire  
Itsuwari wo hagi totte tsukkire  
Get Back your true hearts  
Hageshii jidai no SUPIIDO wo daite  
You got a feeling "way out"_

_Young Bloods on Fire  
Tomodoi wo nugi sutete hashire  
Get back your true hearts  
Me mo kuramu you na SUPIIDO ni dakare  
You got a feeling "way out"_

Tea led the girls into the last steps of the dance by moving to the beat of the song. Just when it was coming to an end, they did their last movements and stopped on the last note. When the song ended, the three girls gathered together and cheered knowing they got the dance perfectly and Tea smiled seeing how excited they were. She didn't expect them to come over and hug her too.

"Thanks so much Tea, you know you're a great dance teacher and those moves you came up with are brilliant!" Tea laughed and shook her head.

"Oh it was nothing, you guys are fast learners. Are you using this routine for anything?" she asked.

"Yeah, we were going to perform at the Autumn Festival that's coming up." Tea was drawing a blank from what they meant, that is until she remembered the event that was indeed coming up soon.

"Oh yeah, kind of forgot." One of the girls giggled.

"You sure are forgetting alot lately, so you're going right? I can't wait to see the kimono you're going to wear Tea." she said.

"I'm not sure if I'm going or not."

"Come on, it's going to be so much fun. Plus you can watch us when we perform the dance you taught us sensei." Tea giggled.

"Okay, you talked me into it. I'll have to ask my friends if they're going too."

"One of those guys you were with, we saw you give him a kiss. Is he your boyfriend?" Tea blushed and the girls giggled seeing her reaction. Before Tea could answer, the doors to the entrance opened and in came Atem walking his way down to the front of the stage waiting for Tea to be done. The girls giggled again and gathered their stuff to leave.

"Thanks again Tea, we'll see you later." Tea waved to them as they left out. As soon as they were gone, Tea then met her eyes with Atem's. Coming down from the stage, she accidentally slipped and waited for the hard impact. Instead, she felt herself land into two strong arms and opened her eyes seeing Atem smiling at her.

"Got to be a bit careful there." he asked. Tea nodded her head slowly.

"Yeah, thanks." Kiyo took this time to come out of Tea's bag since the cost was clear and fly over to them both. Atem placed Tea down until her feet was touching the floor again.

"It was a good thing Atem caught you or that would have been a pretty nasty fall." he said.

"I know, I felt a bit off for a second there." she said.

"I would have to say it was more than a second Tea. I noticed when you're not as energized as you were before." Atem said. Kiyo flew until he landed on top of Tea's head.

"He's right, I noticed it too when you were dancing just now. You weren't moving the way you did when I first saw you." Tea sighed and rubbed the back of her neck to try and ease away any kinks that she was feeling.

"I tried not to show it, but I guess it's pretty obvious."

"Don't worry Tea, I know just what you need to boost your energy again. All you have to do is relax and leave everything to me." Kiyo said flying off of her head. Making sure that they were alone and that no one would come inside, Atem and Tea sat down leaving Kiyo to float in the air. A golden glowing aura surrounded his body. The star on his forehead started to glow also it shot out a warm golden beam of light at Tea. She gasped and her whole body was glowing. From this new energy boost, she didn't feel as tired and drained as she did. Once Kiyo knew that Tea was alright, the beam disappeared and the glow from both his body and Tea's disappeared too.

"So how do you feel?" Kiyo asked floating down to Tea.

"I feel...so much better." Tea stood up taking Kiyo while he was floating to give him a hug.

"Thanks Kiyo, that really helped alot." Kiyo gave a cheeky grin.

"It was nothing." Atem smiled and was relieved to see Tea back to her old self again. He stood up from his seat too and placed his hand on her shoulder when she let Kiyo out of the hug she gave him. He was greeted by that beautiful smile he grown to deeply love so much.

"I'm glad you're better, I was worried about you when you left earlier." Tea giggled and kissed his cheek.

"Has anyone ever say that you worry too much?" she asked. Kiyo flew in between them deciding the answer that question.

"Actually, I was the one who told him that. See, didn't I say you worry too much?" he said while patting Atem arm. Atem chuckled and nodded.

"Okay, I do but can you blame me?" he said. Tea moved closer until she hugged Atem around his waist. This made Atem remember the day they were both on the school's roof and she was saying that she felt like something was watching them. He never knew that it would lead to so many changes like the discovery of her new powers or even the confessions of their feelings. Even though that things turned out bad and unexpected in the beginning, Atem wouldn't want to change a thing about it. If he did, then he wouldn't have his beautiful princess in his arms right now.

"No, I can't blame you. I feel the same way when I worry about you. Hey, where are the others?" she asked noticing that Yugi, Joey Tristan and Shirabe didn't come inside with Atem.

"Oh, Yugi had to return a book he borrowed and Joey and Tristan are in still in class."

"And Shirabe?" Tea asked.

"Well..." he stopped not exactly sure what to say to her. Tea could tell by the way he was quiet that there was something wrong and she knew what that something was.

"Let me guess, she felt a presence somewhere...didn't she?" Atem gave her a wide eyed expression.

"How did you know?"

"Because I've been feeling it too. It's faint, but I know that there's something around and whatever it is, I know it's not good." she said. Atem closed his eyes to have the Eye of Horus appear on his forehead while Kiyo's golden aura surrounded his body and sure enough they could both feel the faint presence too. Kiyo looked over to Tea and Atem as the glow disappeared again.

"I'm going to track down Shirabe and see if she found anything. I'll be back soon."

"Okay Kiyo, but just be careful. Try not to let anyone see you." Tea said.

"Right, don't worry I'll be as quiet as a mouse...even though I don't like mice." he said flying out of the open window and keeping himself hidden. Atem looked at Tea and saw her still staring at the window where Kiyo flew out of. To keep her at ease, he held her hand which made her break her stare and take a glance his way.

"Come on, we won't know anything until Shirabe and Kiyo come back." he said. Tea nodded.

"You're right, let's go." Grabbing her stuff, Atem and Tea left out and went in search of Yugi who was still in the school's library while they waited for Joey and Tristan to meet up with them. Unfortunately as they were leaving, they didn't see the cloaked figure hiding in the shadows disappearing in a cloud of dark smoke.

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Jumping from building to building, Shirabe continued her search for the mysterious presence that she picked up. It's been a half-hour and there was still no sign of the energy yet. She made sure she was well hidden by keeping herself very high up and activating her invisibility powers if necessary. Shirabe stopped for a moment to scout around the city area and to rest before she took off again.

_'Whoever this being is, he or she is cloaking their powers very well. I can't even detect where the presence is, but I know it's around here somewhere.' _So closing her eyes, Shirabe's white aura surrounded her body and she tried to sense where the presence was. She kept this up for as long as it was possible checking everywhere around the city. She even double checked every spot, but she still couldn't detect anything. Suddenly, there was another presence she was sensing, but it wasn't the one she was looking for. So looking into the direction where it was coming from, Shirabe saw that it was Kiyo flying to her.

"There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you." he said.

"Is something wrong?"

"You tell me, Atem said you sensed something. Were you able to track it down?" Shirabe slowly shook her head and sighed.

"No, it's beginning to be very difficult too. I know it's here, but I can't seem to detect where it is. You didn't tell Tea about this, did you? I wanted to wait until I made sure that this presence wouldn't be a threat to her when I found it."

"Didn't have to, Tea could sense it too and when Atem and I felt it, that's when I came to find you."

"She did? Hmm, I guess I'm not all that surprised that she could feel it too. From the training she had, Tea's senses are getting much more stronger."

"She's strong alright, Gyousei better watch his back because Tea's going to bring him trouble and once that happens, it's total payback for the things he's done." Kiyo said as he punched his paw into the air. Shirabe raised her eyebrow and gave a small smirk.

"Your enthusiasm is very untamed." she said. Kiyo was busy punching the air as if there was an invisible enemy he was fighting.

"What makes you say that?" Shirabe sighed.

"Nevermind, let's go." she said. So taking off of the building, Shirabe and Kiyo flew off once they sensed the presence again and flew off to try and find it.

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Class was now finally led out and Tea was at her locker getting her things together, but like everyone else who were leaving for the day, she had to stay behind a few minutes more since she volunteered to help clean the classroom. Once her books were placed inside her bag, she took it out and closed her locker since she wasn't going to open it until she came back to school the next day. Hearing a familiar voice, Tea turned to see Atem coming her way.

"You ready to go?" he asked. Tea smiled and shook her head.

"Actually, I have to stay a bit. Got to help out with the classroom, but you just go ahead without me. I don't know how long I'll be." Atem was a little hesitant to leave her here alone.

"Are you sure? I don't mind waiting for you."

"I'm sure, plus I know that you and Yugi have to help Mr. Moto with the shop." she said.

"Alright, come by the shop when you're done."

"Okay, I'll meet you later." Before Atem left, he gave Tea a slow, loving kiss on her lips not wanting to let go of her, but since air was running out for the both of them, they pulled apart breathing heavily. Atem gave her a wink and waved as he walked out meeting Yugi, Joey and Tristan outside. Tea picked up her bag and went on inside the classroom that needed her assistance.

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Shirabe and Kiyo have been flying for the past hour and there was still no sign of what they were looking for. They've been all over the city and not once has the unknown force revealed itself. It was like they were on a wild goose chase with them being the pawns of a game being played by someone. They were just about to give up on the search when suddenly Shirabe stopped in mid air and her white aura surrounded her body. Kiyo stopped too and his golden aura appeared. They both turned to each other thinking the same thing.

"It's here! We found it Shirabe!" Kiyo said.

"Yes, and I know who it is. Quickly we have to hurry back to the others and warn them!" As soon as Shirabe said this, flames started to appear out of nowhere burning a few trees and causing alot of destruction. So taking flight again, Shirabe and Kiyo both traveled back to find the others.

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Twenty minutes had passed since school was led out and the guys were on their way to the Game Shop. During the walk, they were just talking about carefree stuff and times Joey and Tristan would argue over confusing stuff, such as this.

"I'm telling you Tristan, the chicken came first!"

"And I say that the egg came first!"

"Okay, then if the egg came first, who laid it? Answer, the chicken!"

"So how did the chicken come to be? It was hatched from the egg!" Joey and Tristan both growled and glared at each other while Atem and Yugi watched them both go at it from the whole 'which came first?' subject. Yugi had to step in between them in order to break up the glare contest they were having.

"Come on guys, no one really knows what came first so no matter how long you argue, there really isn't going to be a winner." he said. Joey and Tristan sighed and nodded their heads in defeat.

"You're right, guess it really is a silly argument." Tristan said.

"Yeah, guess so." Atem and Yugi chuckled as they kept walking. Just then, Joey looked up in the sky for a second and saw something small coming their way. At first, he thought it was some kind of floating speck, but looking closely he noticed that the speck was becoming bigger.

"Hey, what's that up there?" Atem, Yugi and Tristan looked up to see where Joey was pointing to in the sky and saw the same thing. It was coming closer and closer in a rapid speed until they saw that it was Kiyo with a panicked look.

"WE'VE GOT TROUBLE!!" he yelled and since he was flying down so fast, he couldn't stop and he crash landed right into Joey sending him sprawling to the ground. Shirabe landed, but she landed much more gentler than Kiyo did and finished what Kiyo was going to say.

"We've found the presence we were searching for and not only that, flames have bursted out of nowhere." she said.

"Who is it?" Atem asked. Shirabe was about to answer, but there was someone else who beat her to the punch.

"How about I show myself to you?" They all turned to see a dark cloaked figure standing in the shadows and stepped out into the light. Taking off the hood, it revealed to be Kiyori with a evil smirk. Everyone got into a battle stance and kept their guard up not knowing what she was up to.

"Hmm, I don't see the one I'm looking for. So where's the princess? I know you know so you might as well just tell me." she said. Joey scoffed.

"Yeah right, like we're just going to _tell _you where Tea is just because you said so. Well think again ya pyro-psycho freak!" he yelled.

"I really don't have time to deal with you all, especially some loudmouth little puppy dog." Joey growled and was about to punch Kiyori out if it wasn't for Tristan and Yugi holding him back.

"Who she calling a 'loudmouth puppy dog'?!" Atem stood in front of them facing Kiyori with a deadly glare.

"You're not getting anywhere near Tea if any of us have anything to say about it."

"This would be much easier if you just tell me where she is. I don't want to have to waisting my time by fighting you and having the possibility of getting my nails ruined." Shirabe growled and took a battle stance next to Atem. When they refused, Kiyori started to sigh and then snapped her fingers. Before everyone knew what was happening, an army of Shadow Demons appeared and surrounded them all. Yugi, Joey and Tristan all took out their cards and summoned their monsters while Atem threw his arm out and his sword magically appeared in his hand.

"You all just dug your own graves." Kiyori said evily. Kiyo flew over to Atem and landed on his shoulder.

"Atem, I'll go and warn Tea." Without taking his eyes off of Kiyori or the Shadow Demons, he nodded his head letting Kiyo know that he heard him.

"Alright, keep her safe." he whispered. Kiyo then flew off towards the school leaving the others to deal with Kiyori. Atem held his sword and tighten his hands on the hilt preparing to attack.

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Tea was finished with the classroom and was now walking out of the school. She's been feeling the same presence from earlier and it was now stronger where she could actually track down where the force was located. She was on her way to the Game Shop where she knew that Atem and the others would be by now when suddenly, she heard her name being called from above. Looking up, Tea saw that it was none other than Kiyo with a panicking look.

"Tea, Kiyori's back!" he said as he landed in front of Tea still flying in mid-air.

"What, where is she?" Tea asked wanting to know where the fire witch was.

"She's not too far from here, Atem and the others are fighting her and an army of Shadow Demons she summoned. She's out to look for you and everyone is holding her off." Tea shook her head as worry clouded her thoughts at the image of her friends being hurt. She clenched her fist and turned to Kiyo with a determined gaze.

"Let's go Kiyo, it's time to put an end to this." Tea started to run off when Kiyo suddenly stopped her.

"Wait Tea, there's something I want to give you first."

"Kiyo, we don't have time. I need to get to the others." she said.

"Don't worry, this will help you. Shirabe and I planned to give it to you to protect you in any battle you had to fight in." he said. Tea turned and waited to see what it was that he wanted to give to her.

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Yugi, Tristan and Joey's monsters were taking out as many Shadow Demons as they could along with the help of Shirabe's lightning attacks and Atem's powerful sword, but it was like as soon as they took out one, two more would take its place. The duel monsters were running low on their energy and it was beginning to become a hassle since the demons that Kiyori summoned seem to have much more power than the last time they faced them. Just when Atem was take out another set of them, Kiyori managed to block his way and smirk evilly at him.

"You know, all of this could be avoided if you just tell me where the princess is." Atem growled and swiped his sword at her which she immediately dodged.

"Not on your life." he said.

"Mm, I love a man when he's feisty as you are. You have such amazing powers and yet you waist them protecting these mortals. You should offer your powers to my Lord Gyousei. Join the winning side because once my lord captures the princess's energy, the whole world will belong to him anyway." Atem scoffed and tighten his grip on the hilt of his sword preparing for his next strike.

"Trust me, I'm already on a winning side and there is no way I'm going to join a side that's full of evil and I'm not going to let you or this Lord Gyousei you keep praising lay a finger on Tea!" Atem's emotions fused with his powers and they all traveled to his sword making it glow and shoot a powerful beam when he slashed at Kiyori which made her crash into the ground from the unexpected hit. She slowly stood up after getting over the shock of the hit and it was hard for Atem to see her expression since her eyes were hidden under her bangs, but when Kiyori lifted her head, she had the most vicious glare anyone has ever seen.

"I had high hopes that you would be different, I had sensed this strong power from you and thought that you would be smart enough to join us. I see now that I was wrong. No matter...if you want to fight along side these fools, then I just have to take you out along with the princess!" Kiyori began to glow a red aura around her body to prepare to battle Atem and bringing him down with the others.

"You can try, but you won't succeed. Tea, my friends and I won't be brought down as easy as you think. We've faced danger before and you're not any different." he said. Kiyori scoffed and she created fireballs in both of her hands.

"Really now? Then I guess this means my Lord Gyousei will really be known. He'll be the first to take the down the 'Almighty Pharaoh!'" Kiyori threw her fireballs at Atem which he automatically blocked with his sword. Kiyori smirked and stood in a battle stance.

"Hmph, not bad, but try taking on me _and _my Shadow Demons all at once!" Snapping her fingers again, Kiyori summoned more Shadow Demons to surround Atem and since Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Shirabe were dealing with the army that they were still fighting, they weren't able to get to Atem and help him. He attacked from his left side when a demon was about to slash him with its weapon and then quickly attacked the one that was coming from behind. Atem made sure he had his defenses up while he was on offense to destroy the demons. Unfortunately for him, Kiyori was secretly charging up her own attack while Atem was distracted.

"This attack may not be enough to take you out, but it will be enough to keep you from interfering with my mission." The fireball in her hands was growing bigger and Atem was unable to escape seeing as he was still fighting off the demons and the others weren't able to help him since they couldn't seem to find an end to the demons that they were fighting.

"Sorry, I really like you and everything, but my lord comes before anything else and since you don't want to offer your alliance to us, you're just going to have to pay the price." Kiyori then shot out her attack and it was aiming straight for Atem in rapid speed where it was impossible to dodge.

"ATEM!" the others yelled out to him. Atem continued fighting and looked up seeing the fireball coming at him. Just when it was about to hit him, the attacked was countered by a powerful energy ball making the fire disappear in a puff of smoke. Kiyori eyes went wide seeing that her attack was stopped and was full of rage as she wondered what it was that made it stop.

"WHAT?!" Everyone looked up to where the attack came from and found a hooded cloak figure standing on top of a high building. Even the Shadow Demons stopped their attacks to look at the mysterious figure.

"Who is that?" Joey asked. The figure took a few steps back and ran forward to jump off the building diving down flipping frontwards while shooting out more energy balls like they were mini bullets destroying all of the Shadow Demons in pure blast of light. After the attack, the figure landed in front of Atem facing Kiyori. Atem stared at the figure and knew there was something familiar. It was then he knew exactly who it was. When the hood was removed, everyone else knew too.

"Tea!" It was indeed Tea dressed in a new attire. Along with her midnight blue hooded cape, she was wearing a white shirt, black pants that hugged the curve of her legs and to match her cape, she wore midnight blue boots **(A/N Think of the brown boots that Tea wore in season one of Yu-Gi-Oh.) **along with blue fingercut gloves. Also around her neck was a necklace that held a golden star. Kiyomichi, in his transformed form flew down and met up with the others after dealing with a few Shadow Demons himself and landed next to Shirabe and the others as they surrounded Tea.

"Are you guys okay?" Tea asked.

"Yeah, it's a good thing you came when you did." Yugi said. Tea then turned to Atem seeing him standing next to her.

"What about you?" she asked. Atem smiled and nodded.

"I'm fine, thanks to you." Tea blushed lightly and smiled back.

"I see Kiyomichi gave you your new gift." Shirabe said as she saw the mystical clothing that Tea was wearing. Tea nodded looking down at herself still amazed from what was given to her.

"He gave them to me before we came here." she said.

_Flashback_

_Tea turned and waited to see what Kiyo wanted to give to her. Putting his paws together, Kiyo summoned a glowing sphere which floated over to Tea and it magically bursted into tiny stars that covered her clothing. Just then, Tea glowed and her uniform turned into a battle outfit. Blinking a few times, she turned to Kiyo wanting an explaination. _

_"This is something that Shirabe and I wanted you to have when you're in battle, but these aren't just ordinary clothing. They'll help you in agility where you will be able to dodge an enemy's attack much faster than before. Call it a small gift from the both of us for succeeding in your training." he said with a grin. Tea smiled and then gave a determined look._

_"Thanks Kiyo, this will really help me. Now let's go get that fire witch." _

_End Flashback_

"Man, now that's what I call clothes." Joey said.

"Aww, what a touching moment." Everyone turned to see Kiyori coming closer to them and almost forgot that she was here. She had an evil smirk as she glanced her eyes at Tea with a hateful glare.

"So you finally showed up, I was beginning to think that I would have to come and look for you. I see that you managed to break through my most unbreakable barrier, so tell me how you did it princess? What sort of trick did you use to make your powers appear again?" Tea glared and then suddenly smirked.

"Haven't you heard? A good magician never reveals her secrets." Kiyori growled and she created a fireball on her hand.

"Haven't you heard? It's not nice to play with fire!" She then threw her fire attack at Tea and laughed knowing that she had her right where she wanted her. Tea just stood her ground and when the fireball was just about to attack her, she lifted her hand and backhanded it away like it was nothing. Yugi, Joey and Tristan gasped in amazement while Atem, Shirabe and Kiyo just smiled knowing that it was going to take more to bring Tea down. Kiyori, however just stood dumbfounded with her mouth hanging open like a fish underwater seeing that her attack was just waved away with a flick of a hand. She then felt rage building up in her chest and her red eyes glow.

"Wow, is that the best you can do? Now who's weak?" Tea said.

"So, you think this is some sort of game, huh? Well why don't we just turn up the heat?!" Kiyori's red aura appeared around her body and she was now at her most strongest.

"Bring it on, we can take on anything you dish out!" Tristan said.

"No." Everyone turned to Tea when she suddenly spoke out. She looked back at everyone else giving seeing that she got their attention.

"You guys, I need to do this alone."

"What, are you crazy Tea? There's no telling what she's got up her sleeve. If we help out, we'll be able to take her out in a flash." Joey said. Tea sighed and shook her head.

"Listen, I need to battle her myself. I have to know that this training has made me control my powers the way I'm suppose to. Anyway, she took part of my energy away and gave it to Gyousei. I'll never be able to get it back, it's like apart of me is lost forever. So please, just give me this chance." she said. They all saw where Tea was coming from, but they still wanted to offer their help. Atem was the first to break the silence.

"Of course, if this is what you want. Just do one thing for us, okay? Make sure you be careful and show her what you're made of." Tea smiled and hugged him.

"I will, with you guys behind me, I know I have all the power in the world." Atem pulled back and kissed her lips trying to take in as much of her as possible. Slowly pulling away, he let her go after they locked their eyes together and watched her walk off ready to take on Kiyori.

"Atem, are you sure we should let her do this alone?" Tristan asked. Atem nodded keeping his eyes on Tea.

"I'm sure, this is what she wants to do."

"She's just going into her doom." Everyone turned to see Jouta and Nagaharu coming out of a dark portal behind Kiyori. Kiyori then cast a glare at the both of them.

"What are you two losers doing here?" she asked menacingly. Nagaharu started chuckling.

"It seems like you forgot to tell Lord Gyousei about your little secret outing. So, we're just relaying a message from him." Jouta looked up with a cold expression while he had his arms folded.

"Bring back the princess's energy or face extreme measures when you return. He doesn't expect anymore failure from you." Kiyori growled at them both.

"Don't worry about me, I'm already doing my job so why don't you two make yourselves useful and help with the unwanted visitors?"

"Sorry, no can do." Nagaharu said.

"Why not?!"

"We're just here to observe the battle, Lord Gyousei's orders." Jouta said.

"Fine, I don't need you anyway. Alright princess, time to play." Tea started to glow her light blue aura around her body as she prepared to fight against Kiyori. When Kiyori landed her first attack, Tea quickly used her speed to dodge the hit and ended up being behind Kiyori and summoned one of her blue energy orbs to land a direct hit on Kiyori. The blast made her crash into a nearby building. Being dazed for a second Kiyori glared and pulling herself up, she used her speed while forming another fireball and attacked Tea head on. She blasted her attack at Tea and she was thrown far up into the air like before, but this time Tea quickly summoned her flying disc and rode through the skies back at Kiyori to land an aerial attack at her. Her hand glowed blue and multiple orbs shot out at Kiyori causing severe damage.

Atem and the others were watching the battle cheering Tea on as she got in two attacks on Kiyori. She was really fighting hard against Kiyori and the training she had really helped in timing when to summon her powers. She had such control over them and they were much, much stronger than before.

"Tea is kicking butt out there." Tristan said.

"Yeah, she's really showing that Kiyori who's boss. No mercy Tea!" Joey said. Yugi turned to Atem seeing how he was watching Tea with such an intense look.

"It's ironic, isn't it?" he asked. Atem turned to Yugi wondering what he meant.

"What is?"

"That you're standing here watching Tea in her fight. Usually it's you who's doing the dueling while she and the others watch from the sidelines." Atem nodded thinking how Yugi was right.

"That's true, now I get the chance to see Tea at her full strength."

"She's doing very well, the training was a success." Shirabe said. Kiyo nodded watching Tea as well.

"The control she has on her powers have improved greatly too and she's much more faster thanks to the new clothing."

Tea and Kiyori were both breathing heavily from the fight. Shots were fired and some of them hit their targets so now they were both facing each other standing in a battle stance as they took a minute before they continued. Kiyori smirked making Tea look at her with confusion.

"You've improved since the last time we battled. It seems like you didn't know what were doing. Now look at you, you have this new strength, but it's not going to defeat me. It's going to take much more power to take me out." Tea closed her eyes and gave out a sigh while she let her arms drop down to her sides. It made everyone look at her wondering what was going through her head until Tea finally said something.

"You know, you told me last time that I was weak, that I wasn't able to beat you and for that moment, I had actually believed it. That was before though, now I have a new belief and it's making me have a strong determination that I've never felt before and it's not because of these powers I've suddenly discovered, it's because I have people that I need to protect and friends that stand by me all the way. That's the difference between you and me, you have power just for greed, I have them to protect and defeat the likes of you." Tea opened her eyes and they were now glowing blue as she created a large ball of energy. Using all of the powers and the feel of her friends' presence behind her, she prepared to attack Kiyori.

"**It ends right here!!"**Tea threw out her ball of energy watching it fly out with such speed that not even Kiyori could dodge it. Her eyes widened as she saw this enormous energy heading straight for and she screamed in agony when it hit her. The blast was so bright that everyone except Tea had to cover their eyes from the intense light. When the light started to dim, eyes opened again and they all saw Kiyori falling backwards on the ground. There wasn't anything that could get her back up. Tea walked over to see the damage that was done from the blast as her eyes changed back to normal. Taking off her necklace, she threw it into the air and it changed into her newly transformed staff. Kiyori saw this and let out a weak laugh.

"I guess... this is it. No matter, I'll go out with dignity... knowing that I have served Lord Gyousei." Tea pointed her staff at Kiyori.

"Even after all of this, you _still_ feel loyal to him?"

"I will always...be loyal to him. Even if you defeated me...he **will** rule this world and he **will** have his revenge on you. So enjoy your victory...because it will be your last." Tea's staff glowed and was ready to fire her attack.

"You're wrong, he'll be defeated just like you were, **Crystal Meteor!!**" This attack was much different than the Crystal Storm that Tea attacked from her old scepter. It still had the tiny crystals coming out of the staff, but there was also miniature crystal orbs that fired out of the large blue orb on the staff. The attack engulfed Kiyori's body into a bright blue light. When the light disappeared there was no sign of Kiyori, except a floating red sphere that was in front of Tea and before she knew what was going on, the orb flew inside of her body jerking her backwards and crashing onto the ground. Atem and the others quickly rushed over to her checked to see if she was alright. Atem held her in his arms and tried to get her to wake up.

"Tea, are you okay?" It took a few seconds until Tea moaned and opened her eyes seeing Atem's face.

"Am I in heaven?" she whispered. Atem chuckled and hugged Tea much closer to him.

"No, you're still here with us." Tea looked around and saw everyone's face staring back at her all bearing looks of relief. She then turned to where she landed her attack at Kiyori and saw that she was no longer there.

"I did it." she whispered. Shirabe and Kiyo nodded.

"You did, we're very proud of you Tea." Shirabe said.

"Even though we _knew_ that you could do it." Kiyo said in a proud voice.

"Hey, what about that red looking ball that flew inside your body? Isn't anybody besides me think that it's a bit weird that that happened?" Tristan said. They all looked back at Tea.

"Are you _sure _you feel okay Tea?" Yugi asked. Tea nodded.

"Yeah, I'm...alright." Tea lifted her staff that she was still gripping on and saw that one of the chains that were dangling started to glow. When the glow disappeared, there was a red charm with the symbol of fire on it hanging on the chain on the left side.

"Looks like we got something else to figure out now." Joey said as the others agreed with him.

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Jouta and Nagaharu returned to the dark fortress after witnessing the defeat of Kiyori. They were able to get away without being noticed. Right now, they walked inside to where Gyousei was located and found him at his usual place in front of his fire sacrificing souls to boost his powers. Jouta decided to that he would be the one to break the news.

"My Lord Gyousei, Kiyori has been defeated by the princess. The mission was a failure." Gyousei was quiet for a second taking in the news and then broke the deathly silence.

"Hmm, is that so? Pity, she was a very loyal subject to me. Oh well, that's what happens when someone decides to take things into their own hands without informing me first." Nagaharu stepped up next to Jouta and bowed in front of Gyousei.

"My lord, to make up for the mistakes that Kiyori has done, I would gladly take the job in retrieving the energy you need from the princess." he said. Gyousei turned away from his fire to face Nagaharu.

"Will I expect failure from you?"

"Of course not my lord, there will be no failure from me."

"I will hold you to your word Nagaharu, or you will suffer the same fate as Kiyori did. I will summon you when I see fit that the time is right."

"Yes Lord Gyousei, I won't let you down."

**Well, Kiyori is history and this was a very long, intense chapter. There will be even more suspense in the chapters to come so tell me how you like this one and I'll have the next chapter up for you guys very soon.**


	8. Shared Powers

**Back again with the next chapter and I want to thank everyone who placed their reviews:**

**Lucky Girl Dragon Wielder**

**dancers of the night**

**Mistress of the King Severian**

**fantasia-49**

**Ruize**

**t recorder**

**Celeste5502**

**CraziAnzGirl**

**Koragirl**

**takerschick**

**Kiristle**

**PLEASE READ MESSAGE BEFORE READING CHAPTER, VERY IMPORTANT:**

**For those of you who read Mistress of the King Severian's stories and have sent PMs to her, I have to inform you that she is unable to update her stories due to the fact that she will not be on Fanfiction for a while. She is not able to concentrate at the moment because of a recent problem that has occurred so please, be a little patient with her until she is able to come back. Thank-you.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or the song "Sen No Yoru Wo Koete" by Aqua Timez.**

**Summary: In another worlds thousands of years ago, there lived mystical creatures who lived peacefully, that was until a dark presence threaten to take over. He almost succeeded until he was stopped by a beautiful princess who saved the creatures from his evil wrath. Now 10,000 years into the present time, he has come back to finish what he started and also get revenge on the one that stopped him. **

**Chapter 8**

After the defeat of Kiyori and the Shadow Demons, the gang flew back to the Game Shop in order to figure out what was going to happen now that the fire witch was gone. Joey and Tristan flew on Kiyo's back while Atem and Yugi flew on Shirabe. Tea, using the little energy she had, flew on her flying disc. She still had her battle outfit on and she was still gripping on her staff as if it was her lifeline. The battle with Kiyori took alot out of her and it was taking all the energy she had just to keep her disc activated. Lifting her staff to take another look at it, Tea stared at the little red charm that appeared right after the red orb flew into her body. Just when she thought she had her powers figured out, there was something else popping up. What did all of this mean? By having the orb inside of her, would this bring harm to her body? There was only one way to find out.

Atem could tell just by watching Tea that she was extremely tired from the battle with Kiyori. He didn't know if the others noticed, but the disc she was flying on kept flickering in and out as if it could vanish any second and hoped with all of his heart that she could hold out long enough until they reached the Game Shop. Looking up at the sky, he noticed how that it was beginning to become dark since the sun was setting and how much time passed from the battle. Looking back at Tea, he wondered if this was how she felt whenever he would be up against his past enemies. If it was, then he must have been blind to see how worried she was.

Finally, reaching their destination and making sure that no one was around, they all landed in front of the Gams Shop. When Tea landed, her disc dissolved with her battle outfit changing back into her pink and blue uniform and she felt her whole body tipping over. Atem saw this and ran quickly to catch her before she hit the ground. He could see that she was breathing heavily and looked up to the others with a look meaning that they had to get inside now. Immediately understanding, Yugi opened the door and held it open for everyone to go inside with him being the last one to go in. Atem set Tea down on the sofa with him looming over her checking to make sure she was okay. Opening her eyes, she gave out a weak smile and raised her hand to touch Atem's cheek as he was kneeling down on the floor.

"I'm alright, just a bit worn out from the fight." she said. Atem smiled and captured her hand that was still touching his face into his own and giving it a comfort squeeze. He felt her trying to sit up and placed his hand on her back to slowly guide her into a sitting position. Then he took a seat next to her while Yugi took the seat next on the other side of Tea. Joey took the seat next to the sofa and Tristan took the other one beside Yugi. Kiyo transformed back into his smaller form and flew over until he landed on Tea's shoulder while Shirabe sat down in front of the others.

"You've done a tremendous job in defeating Kiyori Tea, now we have one less enemy to worry about. Gyousei is probably aware by now from Jouta and Nagaharu that she is gone and is now thinking of a new plan of attack. We have to be on our guard." Shirabe said. Everyone nodded agreeing with her. It was then that Yugi had broken the short silence.

"Do either of you know what made that glowing red orb fly into Tea?" he asked. Shirabe and Kiyo both looked at each other which brought another silence to the group. It was making them nervous as to what they would say and what concerns they had to look out for. What seemed like an eternity, was only five minutes of dreadful, agonizing, torturing silence before it was broken by Shirabe when she sighed.

"Actually...I don't know." she said.

"Neither do I." Kiyo said while laughing nervously and placing a paw behind his head. Joey and Tristan both fell off their seats while Atem, Tea and Yugi all blinked in confusion. Joey then stood up and had a glare while shaking his fist furiously.

"What do you mean 'you don't know?! I thought you guys suppose to know this stuff!" he said. Shirabe not fazed by the outburst of Joey explained.

"It's like we said before when Tea started learning about her powers. There are some abilities that neither Kiyomichi nor I have ever seen before so this is all new to us just as much as it is to you. But Tea, did the absorption have any effect on you?" she asked. Tea shook her head answering her question.

"No, besides the whiplash I have from being jerked backwards, I'm fine." she said while rubbing her neck trying to soothe away some of the tension.

"Well, if something bad was suppose to happen, it would have happened by now, right?" Tristan said. Everyone nodded and it was another strong silence. They were all thinking about the battle what Gyousei might be concocting next. The whole room was soundless, nothing was heard...except the growling noise from a little black talking cat that was still hanging on Tea's shoulder. All heads were turned to him as he slouched down with a frown.

"I'm hungry." Kiyo said. Just then, Joey and Tristan's stomachs started growling like it was some sort of hunger epidemic.

"Oh, me too." They both said. Atem, Tea, and Yugi laughed while Shirabe shook her head while smiling at the three hungry beings. Hearing footsteps, everyone turned to see Grandpa coming inside.

"You're finally back, did you forget about the inventory we had today with the new cards?" he asked. Yugi and Atem laughed nervously remembering that they had to help Grandpa with the shop.

"No, we didn't forget Grandpa, it's just we all got a little side-tracked on the way home." Yugi said.

"Well whenever you're ready, we can start. There are alot of cards to unpack." Kiyomichi, coming out of his slouching position flew over until he was in front of Grandpa's face.

"Do you mind if we eat first? I feel like I'm waisting away." he said in a whining voice while rubbing his little belly. Grandpa laughed and nodded.

"I suppose that's alright." Joey and Tristan shot up from their seats seeing as how they were about to eat while Atem and Yugi laughed. Shirabe just quietly shook her head again wondering how all three of them could eat so much. Standing up from the sofa, Atem looked down at Tea realizing just now that she was very silent all of a sudden. Plus, he couldn't see her eyes since they were covered by her bangs. The others noticed this as well when they saw Atem having this serious look.

"Tea?" Atem called out to her trying to bring her out of whatever trance she was in. Tea didn't respond to the call, but what made everyone gasp was when she just fell forward like a lifeless doll. Atem quickly caught her before she collapsed and tried to wake her.

"Tea, what is it? Are you okay? Tea!" Trying as hard as he could, Atem couldn't get her to wake up and it was beginning to become a major concern for everyone inside the room as to why she collasped in the first place. They won't know however, until she awakens again.

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_Tea groaned as she opened her eyes, but when her vision cleared, she gasped at the sight that her eyes laid upon on. She was in the middle of some kind of snowstorm and there wasn't any sign of life anywhere. She wrapped her arms around to warm herself and it was then she realized that she was wearing the same white dress from when she first met Princess Anzu. The strong gust of wind was picking up and Tea could feel her body numbing to the violent, cold weather. She felt something as well...like there was someone watching her, but as Tea searched around, she couldn't locate anyone. It was then that her eyes did see a dark figure standing in the snow; just standing...like a frozen statue. _

_Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. The figure lifted its hand and shot out deadly, sharp icicles at her. Tea wasn't able to move fast enough because of the cold, but even if she could have, there was no way of dodging the icicles in time since they were coming at a rapid speed. Suddenly, she could feel something rising up within her body; a warm feeling that was making her now frozen body move freely. There was a orange aura surrounding her body and before the icicles could attack her, they were instantly melted away. Once they were gone, so was the snowstorm and the dark figure. Nothing was around; no sounds, no light, no anything. It was just like before._

_"You've managed to summon your new power." Tea gasped when she heard the familiar voice and turned to see a glimmer of light floating down in front of her. The light slowly transformed into Princess Anzu who was giving her a gentle smile wearing the exact same dress from when they were in her world._

_"New power, what are you talking about?" she asked. Princess Anzu lifted her hand and suddenly Tea's staff appeared. Sensing its master, the staff floated over to Tea in an instant._

_"The power you absorbed when you defeated Kiyori gives your staff the ability to summon fire attacks. That is what the chains on your staff is for, when you have defeated an enemy, it's power will go directly to you and shows up onto your staff." Tea looked at the little charm that was hanging on her staff now understanding what the chains were for._

_"Not only that Tea, but you can also pass some of its power to someone else fighting along with you. It will give you both a good fighting chance of taking down the rest of Gyousei's henchman, especially Gyousei himself." Still keeping her gaze on the staff, Tea nodded and gave a smile to Princess Anzu._

_'Tea!' Tea gasped when she heard a voice calling out to her, but it wasn't just any voice. The voice belonged to Atem and from the way it sounded, he was worried about her._

_"It's now time to return to your friends. Your chosen one is waiting for you." _

_"My chosen one?" Tea asked in confusion. Princess Anzu giggled._

_"Yes, your pharaoh. He's waiting for you to open your eyes, we don't want him to worry now, do we?" Tea blushed and nodded while giving out a smile. _

_"You're right, thanks again Princess Anzu. You came through for me again." _

_"I will always be here to assist you for anything Tea, remember my soul rests within you. Please be careful, your next battle will be much difficult than the last." she said. A light formed in front of them and Tea took this as a sign that it was time for her to return. So giving one last look at Princess Anzu, she walked through and her vision began to get cloudy until it faded to black._

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"Tea, can you hear me?"

Tea groaned as she heard her name being called again and opened her eyes to see two amethyst eyes staring back at her. Her vision was a bit foggy and she didn't know what was happening, that is until she realized that she was on the floor with warm arms around her. Blinking a few times, her eyes cleared to see the others surrounding her with concern looks. She let out a smile to ease their worries.

"You guys must be getting tired of me passing out." she whispered. They all just laughed and shook their heads relieved that she was okay. Atem kept his hand on her back as Tea sat up in a sitting position. She gave him a reassuring smile that said she was alright, but Atem still kept his hold on her. Tea soon got the idea that he wasn't going to let go of her, but she wasn't complaining seeing that she felt safe in his arms.

"Are you okay Tea?" Yugi asked.

"Yeah, I am now. I had...another dream again." This caused everyone in the room to become alert since Tea's dreams were visions of things to come. Shirabe and Kiyo both came closer to Tea.

"What was it about?" Kiyo asked.

"I was in this snowstorm, everywhere I looked I could see nothing but snow. I was the only one there....or at least I thought I was. There was this guy dressed in black, I couldn't see his face, but I knew he was evil. It was so cold...and I almost couldn't make out what he was doing, but I saw him lifting his hand and all of a sudden, these sharp icicles came after me. My body was so numb so I wasn't able to move in time, but then I felt this warm aura surrounding me and the icicles just melted on the spot. The snow disappeared and so did the guy in black." Shirabe and Kiyo turned to each other both thinking the same thing.

"It looks like Nagaharu is going to be our next opponent soon since he is the only one who controls the power of ice. Be cautious Tea, he will turn any battle into his own little game and won't care who he hurts in the process." Shirabe said.

"I know, I think that's what Princess Anzu meant too." Kiyo flew until he landed on top of Tea's head.

"You saw Princess Anzu again?" he asked.

"Yeah, she was who I saw after the snowstorm disappeared. She was telling me about my new power, that I'm able to absorb an enemy's power and have it appear on my staff. That's what the charm on my staff is, it holds the power of fire."

"So you're able to do fire attacks now?" Tristan asked. Tea nodded. Joey stood up pumping his fist in the air.

"Alright! Before you know it, that Lord Garbage Truck will be blasted away before he even enters the fight!" After Joey hollered that out, he looked down at his stomach which was growling again waiting to be filled. It was then that Kiyo remembered how hungry he was as well as Tristan and the three of them ran straight for the kitchen with Grandpa and Yugi following them making sure they didn't cause a mess. Shirabe sighed and decided to follow since she wanted to keep an eye on her flying friend. This left Atem and Tea alone once again.

Tea smiled as she heard the distant yells from Joey and Tristan as they were fighting over food. It was then she felt one of Atem's hands brush back some of her hair behind her ear. She turned and saw the relief in his eyes from when she woke up after collapsing. She then gasped in surprise as his lips suddenly found hers; his warm, soft, tender lips that were massaging along with hers and sighed as the kiss began to get much deeper. When they were beginning to run out of air, they reluctantly broke the kiss. They just stared in each others' eyes for a second before they stood up and keeping their hands clasped together.

"I'm sorry, did I worry you?" she asked. Atem smiled and took his hand to carress her cheek.

"Yes you did, but I knew you would be okay. You must be hungry, why don't we go grab something before Joey, Kiyo and Tristan hog everything." Tea giggled knowing how those three get when it comes to food.

"You go on ahead, I need some time alone to think about everything." she said.

"Okay, but don't take too long."

"I won't." she said. Atem then captured her lips to kiss her again and turned into the direction where the others disappeared to. Tea sighed and smiled as she watched her beloved pharaoh leave out. She then climbed the flight of stairs and walked into his room where she would have a little privacy to think.

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Back in the dark dimension, Jouta was waiting around for Nagaharu to return from where ever he went to. The battle from earlier between Tea and Kiyori was still fresh within his mind and thought just how much Kiyori was careless. Now because if it, she was taken down which made him and Nagaharu the only ones left to finish their mission. Jouta was suppose to be talking with Nagaharu about their next strategy, but it seems the he was late for their meeting. Just then, he heard footsteps echoing through the dark hallways and looked up to see Nagaharu coming in. Jouta still stood in his spot as he cast a glare at him.

"You're late." he said in a cold, emotionless voice. Nagaharu waved his hand carelessly not fazed by Jouta's murderous glare.

"Yeah, yeah I'm here, aren't I? I just wanted to check out the city for any excitement, that's all."

"You were _supposed _to be here to plan out our next attack to the princess and those friends of hers. Instead you were goofing off, that was just how Kiyori defeated because she only thought about her pleasures instead of getting the energy we need for Lord Gyousei." Nagaharu then cast his own glare at Jouta.

"Look, don't even compare me to her! All she had on her mind was that stupid pharaoh she had a crush on, so when she got rejected, that's when she started messing up. Me on the other hand, I like to scout out my surroundings before I come up with a plan."

"In other words, you wasted precious time that we couldn't afford to lose."

"Shows how much you know, I already thought of the perfect plan. See, I'm hearing around the city that there's some kind of festival coming up I was thinking I could go there, crash the party and at the same time, get out there with the princess's energy. Brilliant, huh?" Nagaharu said with a confident voice. Jouta on the other hand just kept up his glare not agreeing with him.

"Wrong, it will completely backfire. We need to come up with a more strategic plan." Nagaharu scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Well tough, we're going through with _my _plan. If I remember correctly, Lord Gyousei offered _me _the job of handling what Kiyori couldn't do. So when he gives you the order to take out the princess instead, then you can do whatever you feel like it. Other than that, shut-up and let me handle it."

"Fine, go through with your plan, but don't say that I didn't warn you when everything falls apart. I'm not going to stand here and argue with you so just be sure that when your plan fails, your fate will be just the same as Kiyori's." With those words said, Jouta left through the dark doorway leaving Nagaharu standing watching him walking away. Clenching his fist, he let out a anrgry growl.

"I'll show you, you'll be looking stupid when I succeed in the mission."

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After helping out with unpacking the boxes of cards and breaking Joey and Tristan's squabble, Atem went upstairs to check on Tea since she never came back down when she said she would have. He opened the door to his room and peeked inside to see her sitting by the window with a far away glance. Slowly coming in and closing the door, he walked over until he was sitting beside her which made her turn to him after being broken out of her thinking.

"If I recall correctly, you said that you wouldn't take too long to come back downstairs." Atem said trying to get her to smile. It seemed to have worked because Tea was now bearing a smile while she let out a laugh as she shook her head.

"Sorry, guess I lost track of time." She then turned back out to look at the sunset in the sky and it was then that Atem noticed that she had something very big on her mind.

"Tea, is there something you want to talk about?" he asked. Tea sighed as she looked at Atem again after a few seconds.

"Yeah, actually there is. There was something I left out when I told you and the others about this new fire power I have. The thing is...I can actually pass some of this power onto someone else that I choose." Atem eyes were wide in shock.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah and I was thinking of passing some of it to you...you know to help you out whenever we have another run in with the Shadow Demons again. N-not saying that you're not strong enough to face them because you're incredibly strong, I just thought this would help you more to-" Tea was cut off when Atem just suddenly pressed his lips against hers. She immediately returned the kiss as she placed both of her hands on his neck gliding them down slowly until they rested on his chest. They broke the kiss after feeling the need for air and Atem leaned his forehead against Tea's.

"If it means that I can protect you, I will take anything. What is it that we have to do?" he asked.

"I'm not really sure how we're suppose to do this. That's what I was here trying to think about....maybe I can pass the power through your sword. I mean it's worth a shot, right?" she said. Atem smiled and nodded.

"Right, I think it just might work." Atem then stood up and summoned his sword. Tea then stood in front of Atem and she pondered on how she was going to do this. A thought came to her as to how she could do this. She placed both of her hands onto the blade and closed her eyes. This gave Atem a chance to see how she had planned to transfer some of the power. Just then, Tea's hands glowed a fiery red and his blade was beginning to glow as well. Pulses of energy began to enter into the blade and the color started to change from gold to red. Looking down at the Eye of Horus chain that was hanging on the hilt of the sword, Atem could see a sparkle starting to form into a chain just like the one that was on Tea's staff. After it was formed, the blade began to turn back into its original golden color, but with the difference of Atem having a newly added fire charm on his sword.

Atem looked up when he heard a soft moan from Tea and rushed forward to catch her seeing as the whole transfer process took alot out of her. He carried her over by the window again to sit and she smiled feeling him wrap his arms securely around her.

"You're tired of me doing that, aren't you?" Atem chuckled and kissed her head.

"Not at all, you used alot of your powers today so just rest." Tea closed her eyes for as she took the time to regain her strength again. Atem quietly gazed at her relieved that she was alright from the maximum use of her energy. He took his hand and played with a few strands of it while her blossom scent was relaxing him. He didn't want to break the peaceful silence, but there was something he wanted to ask her.

"Tea?" he whispered.

"Hmm?" she answered sleepily.

"You know, the Autumn Festival is in a few days and I thought it would give us a break from all of the battles we've been in. Plus it would give you a chance to really ease your worried mind from all of the visions you've been having. Yugi and I were talking about going and we already know Joey and Tristan agreed, so...." Tea smiled and opened her eyes so she could look up at Atem.

"Pharaoh, are you asking me to go as your date?" Atem blushed and smiled back.

"Yes..I guess I am." Tea giggled and leaned closer so that she could kiss him. It was a slow, but a very passionate kiss and they both put so much emotion into that one kiss. Pulling back, Tea gave her answer.

"I would love to, now I just have to find the right kimono to wear."

"I'm sure whatever you wear, you'll look extremely beautiful." It was now Tea's turn to blush and she looked away sheepishly from the way Atem said that so lovingly to her. She looked out at the window seeing the sun setting and how the colors mixed together and softly sighed as she felt Atem enjoying the sunset with her pretending like time was standing still for just the two of them.

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Domino City was quiet for a few days after the battle with Kiyori and there wasn't any sign of Shadow Demons popping up anywhere. Tea was still having visions of what was going to happen, but didn't know when those visions were going to come true. They decided to keep their guards up should anything happen, but until then they were going to enjoy every second of relaxation as much as possible.

It was now the night of the Autumn Festival and Tea was in her room adding the finishing touches to her hair. She had her hair styled up in a small bun with the rest of it cascading down stopping at the nape of her neck. The kimono she was wearing was a beautiful dark blue color with white flower petals on the bottom hem looking as though they were blowing in the breeze. She could hear the distant voices of Joey and Tristan from outside saying that they wanted to hurry up so they could arrive at the festival in time for the food. Tea giggled and was thinking of purposely taking her time, but she didn't want them to suffer anymore and decided to finish up. Once she was done, Tea turned off her light and walked out to meet with the others.

"Man, we're missing the food! What's keeping Tea?!" Joey said about to pull his hair out.

"I'm right here Joey, don't get your underwear all bunched up." When they heard her voice, everyone gasped at the sight of Tea and thought how nice she looked in her kimono. Tea giggled at the way they were staring at her.

"Gosh, you guys look as though you've never seen a girl in a kimono before." she said. Snapping out of it, they started to laugh at the comment Tea said...all except Atem who was still taking in on how beautiful she looked.

"Sorry Tea, it's just you look great." Yugi said.

"Yeah, if there was a contest for the best kimono, you would definitely take first place." Tristan said.

"Hey, there won't even be a contest cause once Tea shows up, she'll be offered the prize right then and there." Joey said. Kiyo and Shirabe both smiled as they came closer to Tea.

"They're right Tea, you absolutely rock this style." Kiyo said.

"I wouldn't put it in Kiyomichi's words, but I do have to agree that you look amazing Tea." Shirabe said.

"Thanks guys." Tea then went over to Atem who was still quiet from staring at her and blushed under his gaze. Taking this as a sign the others waited outside until they both finished talking. Tea did a little twirl for Atem making him smile.

"So...how do I look? It's not too much, is it?" she asked really wanting to know what he thought. Atem moved closer and kissed her cheek.

"No, you look so radient tonight." Tea could feel her blush growing mch stronger.

"Thank-you...uh, we better get going before Joey pops a blood vessel." Atem laughed and the both of them walked out with the others. Shirabe made herself invisible while Kiyo flew into Yugi's jacket pocket as they walked to the festival. None of them noticed though that they were being watched from above a tall building by an unknown figure.

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They arrived at the festival and were all in awe at all of the events that were taking place. It consisted of games, music and performances that everyone was participating in. Joey, Tristan and Kiyo got a strong whiff of the delicious food that was serving and all three of them had a goofy look with their mouths hanging open dying to get a taste of it. Tea heard a familiar song and turned to see the three girls that she taught her dance moves to. They were dancing as though they had been dancing forever and made a note to congratulate them on their excellent performance. Yugi and Atem looked at the games that were being played and then turned to each other. Even though they were in different bodies, they still had that mind link and both challenged the other to one of the games before they left. Shirabe, still in her invisible form watched as everyone was having a wonderful time together and it reminded her of when Princess Anzu was still alive. When she was around, it was always a celebration in her world. She missed her very much, but is happy to have found Tea.

Joey, Tristan and Kiyo couldn't wait any longer and dashed towards the booths with the food. Yugi and Shirabe followed so that they wouldn't get into trouble leaving Atem and Tea alone together. They both laughed as they watched them run off and smiled at each other as they walked through the crowds to find something to do. Atem eyes caught site of a little boy who looked to be about seven years old leaning over some water where goldfish were swimming inside of. It seems as though the boy was having some difficulties on trying to catch one. He then decided to help him out.

"Those little guys are tough to catch, aren't they?" he asked stooping down next to the little boy. Tea was watching behind them smiling at the way Atem was conversating with him.

"Uh-huh, it's like whenever I think I have one, it swims away."

"Yeah, they can be very tricky. You have to try and predict where their next move is going to be, mind if I give it a try?" The little boy nodded and wanted to see if Atem could try and catch the one of the goldfish. He gave Atem the paddle he was using to scoop up the fish and the a little bowl the fish was suppose to go inside when they were caught. Atem positioned held the small paddle in his hand and positioned the bowl in his other hand and waited until it was the right time to move. He watched closely as to how the fish were swimming together in groups and kept a sharp eye open as to which fish would fall into his trap. Finally, he saw his opening when a fish went to swim by itself and as quickly as he could scooped up the little swimmer and caught him in the bowl. The little boy gasped and cheered for Atem.

"Wow, that was awesome!" he said. Atem placed the fish in a bag full of water, tied it up and gave it to the boy.

"Thank-you, now be sure to take care of him, okay?" He said with a smile. The little boy smiled back and nodded.

"I will, thanks alot for helping me!" He then went off to find his friends and tell them all about how he got his goldfish. Atem turned to Tea when he felt her coming up next to him.

"Great job, even though I'm not surprised."

"Well they don't call me the 'King of Games' for nothing." Tea laughed and she and Atem walked around to find something else to do. In the shadows, the unknown strange watched them walk off before disappearing into a cloud of darkness.

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After visiting all of the booths at the festival, Atem and Tea decided to go off somewhere secluded in the park where it was quiet, but still able to hear the music. They found themselves in front of a sparkling lake. There were also a few fireflies glowing around and in the lake were water lilies floating across the water with little tiny droplets on top of the petals that looked like little diamonds. Tea went over until she was looking at her reflection in the water and felt Atem sitting next to her.

"Tonight was so much fun, wasn't it?" Tea asked. Atem chuckled.

"Yes it was, I really enjoyed myself." he said. Tea turned to Atem and slid a little closer to him. She looked down seeing the puzzle hanging on his neck and ran her hand over the golden pyramid. Atem watched her as she did this and wondered if there was something on her mind.

"You know I remember that day so clearly, the day when you were sent back into the world of memories and we traveled through the Millennium Puzzle in order to find you. There were so many doors and stairs that looked as though they went on forever. You must have been so confused and filled with so many questions." she said. Atem covered his and on top of Tea's to feel the puzzle also.

"I was, I felt so empty and lost without my memories, but with you, Yugi and the others fighting along side me and cheering me on I knew that there was nothing that I couldn't do." he said.

"And now that you have your memories back, you can create new ones with us...with me." Atem leaned down and kissed her lips. When he pulled back, he reached over into the water and picked up a water lily to place it in Tea's hands.

"The memories that we create together, I will always treasure." He then went behind Tea and to have her sit between his legs and her back leaning against his chest. The could hear a soft song starting to play from the festival and it was loud enough where they could hear the lyrics.

_Aisaretai demo aisou to shinai  
Sono kurikaeshi no naka o samayotte  
Boku ga mitsuketa kotae wa hitotsu kowakutatte kizutsuitatte  
Suki na hito ni wa suki tte tsutae__ru n da_

Atem and Tea were listening to the music as they watched the fireflies flying near the grass beside them.

_Anata ga boku o aishiteru ka aishitenai ka  
Nante koto wa mou docchi de mo ii n ga  
Donna ni negai nozomou ga  
Kono sekai ni wa kaerarenu mono ga takusan aru darou  
Sou soshite boku ga anata o aishiteru to iu jijitsu dake wa  
Dare ni mo kaerarenu shinjitsu da kara_

_Sen no yoru wo koete anata ni tsutaetai  
Tsutaenakya naranai koto ga aru  
Aisaretai demo aisou to shinai  
Sono kurikaeshi no naka o samayotte  
Boku ga mitsuketa kotae wa hitotsu kowakutatte kizutsuitatte  
Suki na hito ni wa suki tsutaeru n da  
Kimochi o kotoba ni suru no wa kowai yo  
Demo suki na hito ni wa suki tte tsutaeru n da_

A cool breeze was blowing through making the two lovers sit comfortably enjoying their time together. Tea was looking down at her water lily seeing how beautiful it was not noticing the Atem was watching her with a loving expression.

_Kono hiroi sekai de meguriau yorokobi o kotoba ja iiarawasenai ne  
Dakara boku-tachi wa hohoemi iro azayaka ni sugiru aki o DOREMI de uttae  
Fuyu o se ni haru no komorebi o machi  
Atarashiku umarekawaru dakera o mamoreru you ni to_

_Kita michi to ikisaki furikaereba itsu demo okubyou na me o shite ita boku  
Mukiaitai demo sunao ni narenai  
Massugu ni aite o aisenai hibi o  
Kurikaeshite wa hitoribocchi o iyagatta ano hi no boku wa  
Mukizu no mama de hito o asiou to shite ita_

Atem and Tea looked up as they saw the fireflies coming over to them with a few of them landing on Tea's water lily. They each took a petal making it look so magnificent and from the way they were glowing on top of them. The remaining fireflies created a circle around Atem and Tea as if they were creating a golden shield to protect them.

_Sen no yoru wo koete ima anata ni ai ni yukou  
Tsutaenakya naranai koto ga aru  
Aiseratai demo aisou to shinai  
Sono kurikaeshi no naka o samayotte  
Boku ga mitsuketa kotae wa hitotsu kowakutatte kizutsuitatte  
Suki na hito ni wa suki tte tsutaeru n da  
Sono omoi ga kanawanakutatte suki na hito ni suki tte tsutaeru n  
Sore wa kono sekai de ichiban suteki na koto sa_

The fireflies were giving off a magical aura as the song was now coming to an end. Atem and Tea looked at them in amazement as they flew around in such a glittery fashion. Atem took his hand and turned Tea's face towards him to plant another kiss on her soft lips. When they pulled away, they watched as all of the fireflies flew away, even the ones that were resting on the lily in Tea's hand.

"I don't want this night to end, I wish we could stay here forever." Tea said.

"Even when this night does end, this will always be in my memory. I love you." Atem said.

"I love you too."

"Aww, what a touchy little scene." Atem and Tea turned around when they were being interrupted by a stranger. They both stood up with Atem standing in front of Tea protecting her since he sensed something evil coming from him. It was then that the person removed his hood and it revealed that it was Nagaharu.

"You, what are you doing here?" Atem asked coldly.

"Oh man, did you already forget from our last meeting on what I want? Well, I guess I'll just have to refresh your memory, I'm here for the princess's energy so that I can give it Lord Gyousei." he said.

"I'm not letting you anywhere near Tea, so if you want her you'll have to get through me!" Atem said keeping Tea behind him as much as he could. Nagaharu just sighed and suddenly both of his hands glowed an icy blue.

"You know, I didn't really feel like fighting, but I suppose you're just too stubborn to cooperate. Guess I'll just have to teach you a lesson." Atem wasn't fazed with his words and threw out his hand to summon his sword.

"You're going to be the only one that gets schooled today." Atem saw Tea next to him with her hands glowing and knew she wanted to fight too. Giving each other a silent look they both turned to Nagaharu ready to fight against him.

**That's it for this chapter, tell me how you like it in your reviews and I'll try to update more as soon as I can. **


	9. The Ice Battle Pt1

**Hey, thanks alot to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter and I want to say that I'm very, very sorry for the long update. I'm glad you all enjoyed it, also I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving:**

**Mistress of the King Severian**

**Ruize**

**CraziAznGirl**

**Lucky Girl Dragon Wielder**

**fantasia-49**

**Celeste5502**

**dancers of the night**

**Vivid Imaginest**

**Koragirl**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!**

**Summary: In another world thousands of years ago, there lived mystical creatures who lived peacefully, that was until a dark presence threatened to take over. He almost succeeded until he was stopped by a beautiful princess who saved the creatures from his evil wrath. Now 10,000 years into the present time, he has come back to finish what he started and also get revenge on the one who stopped him.**

**Chapter 9**

It was like time was standing still as Atem and Tea were facing in front of Nagaharu. He was watching the both of them as they summoned their powers getting ready to attack him, but Nagaharu didn't show any signs of being intimidated by this. Instead all he did was smirk evilly while summoning his own powers. Atem and Tea watched as he brought out a spear that had a large, deadly blade and pointing it right into their direction. Atem and Tea could sense the power radiating from Nagaharu and they both shivered; not from his ice powers, but from his dark, evil aura.

"Well, this is going to be fun. Haven't really had a chance to take on the both of you, but it's going to be worth the wait when I destroy you." he said. Atem, keeping a firm grip on the sword's hilt, just glared and Tea increased her orbs as well feeling just as angry as Atem was.

"We're not going to be the one's destroyed tonight, you are." Atem said coldly. Nagaharu smirked widely and lifting his hand to aim at the lake behind Atem and Tea. The water started to move around to his control. Atem and Tea slowly turned around when they heard the water moving and both of their eyes immediately went wide at the sight they saw. There were over thousands of sharp icicles floating in mid-air. They can tell from where they were standing that even one touch from them could cause serious damage. Nagaharu saw their expressions and it just boosted up his advantage. With a flick of his hand, he controlled ice to shoot down at Atem and Tea in rapid speed. Tea quickly brought out her star necklace and activated it to quickly change into her battle outfit seeing that she wouldn't be able to fight in her kimono and summoned her staff.

Atem and Tea both had their backs pressed against each other as the icicles were drawing closer and closer. Atem's sword glowed while his Eye of Horus symbol appeared on his forehead and he began to destroy the freezing, deadly ice before it touched him. His movements were so swift and his attacks were powerful and he made sure that he kept up his attacks because he knew, if for a second he lets his guard down, it would mean total destruction. He quickly glanced behind him to see how Tea was doing and was relieved that she that she was fairing up okay.

Tea focused on taking out as many icicles as fast as she could. Using her energy orbs, she concentrated on the speed and timing of every attack that was coming her way. Thanks to the training she had, it gave her the ability to move more quickly. She knew that if there was even the slightest slip up, it would be over in seconds. As they kept attacking, it looked as though it was a never-ending battle, like the icicles were never going to stop. Tea heard Atem groaning in pain and while she continued attacking she gave a quick glance to him and gasped seeing that he was hit in his shoulder from the sharp ice.

"Atem, are you okay?!" she asked, but quickly threw out more of her orbs before the ice attacked her.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me Tea! Just keep attacking!" Atem said as he kept slashing his sword at the falling ice. Tea nodded and it was then that she and Atem wanted to get rid of the ice much more quickly. So powering up all of his powers, Atem's sword glowed and and a golden beam shot out from it. Tea twirled her staff in her hand and used her Crystal Meteor attack to combine it with Atem's attack. Together, they took out every one of the sharp ice and witnessed at how all of them turned back into water watching as it rained down back into the pond like nothing ever happened.

Taking a few deep breaths, Atem and Tea turned back to face Nagaharu only to find that he wasn't in the same spot. Looking around, they couldn't detect his presence anywhere, but they knew he was hiding nearby. The air was silent and mysteriously, Atem and Tea couldn't hear the sounds from the festival and thought it was very strange. It was dead silent, they were both waiting......and waiting......and waiting still for anything to happen. Suddenly, something caught Atem's eye, something that was charging in rapid speed and it was aiming straight for......

**"Tea, look out!****" **Atem pushed Tea out of the way at the very last second because it was Nagaharu coming in full speed with his spear preparing to take out Tea with his powers. Atem, however, blocked the activated spear with his sword and casted a worry glance over to where Tea landed silently thanking that she was alright.

"That's so touching, you made sure your precious girlfriend didn't get hurt. Not going to work though, I'm still going to have her delivered to Lord Gyousei and there's nothing that you can do about it." Nagaharu said with an evil smirk. Atem growled and used his strength to keep Nagaharu's spear from touching him.

"As long as there is breath in my body, I won't let you anywhere near Tea! Not you or anyone else is going to lay a finger on her!" Nagaharu just laughed and pushed against Atem's sword with his spear.

"Oh I see, you want that energy she has, don't you? I mean I don't blame you dude, she's got power unimaginable. Anyone would be dieing to get their hands on her, just think of her as a vessel that holds a precious item, an item that will decide the fate of everything." It was then that Atem just snapped, anger was rising so high from the words that came out of Nagaharu's mouth. His eye twitched from the pent up rage that would soon be let out. Nagaharu saw this and pushed away from Atem in order to power up his spear.

"Whoa, you're getting steamed, aren't you? Why don't you cool down a bit?" he said as he blasted his ice magic to Atem trapping him into a block of ice. Tea from where she was sitting got up and ran over to him.

"Atem!" she yelled out his name hoping he would hear her call. She was stopped by Nagaharu stopping in front of her. Tea jumped back and held her staff tightly preparing to attack him.

"What have you done to Atem?! Let him out!" she demanded.

"All I'm doing is letting him chill a little, his blood is boiling at a very dangerous high level and from the way he's trapped in that ice, I say it won't be long until his body temperature_ drops_." Nagaharu said. Tea gasped and was now afraid for Atem. She summoned a few energy orbs and shot them at Nagaharu getting him to move out of her way while she ran over to Atem. Twirling her staff, Tea managed to turn the crystal on top of it to a fiery red color and summon her new fire power at the ice hoping it will thaw out. Unfortunately, her concentration was broken when Nagaharu came back to attack her with one of his ice orbs and it knocked her to the ground. Because of the attack, Tea couldn't move any parts of her body since she was feeling so numb. Nagaharu took this time to gloat in victory.

"Well pretty princess, you and your boyfriend put up a good fight, but sadly it wasn't enough. Maybe when Lord Gyousei is done draining your energy, then you and I can have ourselves a date." Nagaharu's hand started glowing a dark aura and it was coming straight for Tea. Tea saw this and closed her eyes as she waited for the inevitable. It was then that something made Nagaharu stop and look towards where Atem was still trapped in the ice. From where Tea attacked on the ice, there was a crack forming and also heat waves were melting the ice. The crack grew bigger and bigger and bigger until....

**"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

The ice cracked into millions and millions of pieces as Atem broke out of it bearing a very raging expression that was making Nagaharu shiver in fear. He was always known to make other quake in fear, but this was the first time he ever felt this way. He knew he was in deep, deep trouble because Atem's eyes were fixated on nothing, but him. His sword was clenched tightly in his hands and the blade wasn't the normal golden color anymore. It was a fiery crimson and flames spinning around the blade.

"You...dare call the woman I love a _vessel_?! You're so succumbed with evil and darkness that you don't understand the kind and caring person that Tea is. She is **not **some kind of item that can be taken apart or put back together just for someone else's use! But I guess you don't understand that since you don't have a heart or a soul to claim your own!" Nagaharu was just about to power up when he looked over to see Tea starting to move again. Her staff was glowing a crimson red just like Atem's sword and she stood up in a battle stance joining Atem next to him.

"So you both think you can take me on? Well, bring it! It'll make it seem much more fun when I have completed my mission!" Nagaharu grabbed his spear and shot out ice attacks to Atem and Tea. They easily dodged them and kept speeding around circling Nagaharu. Tea shot out a few fire balls from her staff and they directly hit Nagaharu causing alot of damage. He was stunned for the moment, but he used quickly ran towards Tea preparing to attack once more.

"Get your hands away from her!" Nagaharu turned around and his eyes widened when he saw Atem flying at him in a spiral of fire. He didn't have time to dodge and took a hard impact from Atem's attack. He flew backwards hitting one....two....three trees. He finally stopped when his back hit the fourth one and looked up in a daze when he saw Atem and Tea walking over to him preparing to launch one final attack, but Nagaharu simply stood and smirked at them.

"Sorry to cut the party short, but I got to jet. There's no way I'm going to let the both of you defeat me, I'll be back when I have more power and we'll tango again." Quickly, Nagaharu created a dark portal and disappeared before he was attacked again. The red glow faded from Atem and Tea's weapons changing them back into their normal colors. Atem fell on his knees breathing heavily while Tea hunched over on her knees feeling very tired. After taking a few deep breaths, she turned to see Atem's shoulder and noticed how it was getting much more worse than before.

"You're hurt." she said as she sat down next to him inspecting his shoulder. Atem turned to Tea giving her a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, really." he grunted when he felt pain shoot up in his shoulder and it made Tea worry.

"No, you're not. Here, hold still." Tea scooted herself closer to Atem and closed her eyes to concentrate. Atem was watching, curious as to what she was doing and it was then that he felt a warm sensation on his shoulder. Not to mention the glowing coming from Tea's hand that made him realize that she was healing him. Looking down at his wound, he could see that it was slowly disappearing. After seeing that Atem was okay, the healing glow from Tea's hand faded away and she looked up to Atem only to find that he was staring back at her.

"How does that feel?" she asked. Atem smiled and moved a little of his shoulder to show Tea just how much she helped him.

"It feels better, what about you? Are you okay?" Taking his hand, Atem placed it against Tea's face feeling her soft, silky skin and watched how she leaned into his touch. She nodded her head to answer his question.

"Yeah, but I should have been more careful Atem. If I had sensed where his movements would be, I would have been able to dodge in time and you wouldn't have gotten trapped in that ice block." Atem just stared at her before pulling her gently into his arms to embrace her. Tea gasped in surprise, but quickly melted into his arms wrapping her own around his waist. They stayed in this position for a few minutes before Atem broke the quiet, comfortable silence.

"It wasn't your fault Tea, he was cloaking his powers very well so it was impossible to tell where he was going to come out. Anyway, even if we were able to sense where his presence was, I still would have protected you." Tea moved her head up to look at Atem, but she tightened her arms around him a little to keep him close to her.

"Not if it means that you have to risk your life. I want to be able to protect you as well and if you ever lost your life because of me, I'll never forgive myself." she felt tears flowing down her face until Atem leaned down to kiss them away.

"Listen to me, that's not going to happen, okay? Whatever plan that Gyousei is up to, we'll take him down together just like all of the evil we've faced before." Tea smiled knowing that what Atem said was true. It was then that they could feel a magnetic force around them. For it was then that they were both leaning in to kiss each other, but before their lips could connect, they both heard distant voices that sounded just like Yugi and the others. Atem and Tea turned to see that it was indeed them running up to them. Shirabe's invisibility was down and Kiyomichi was transformed.

"Hey, are you guys alright? We've been looking everywhere for you." Yugi asked.

"We're both fine." Atem said as he stood and Tea stood up from the ground.

"Man, you guys look a really worn out." Joey said.

"Yes, what happened? Kiyomichi and I sensed there was a presence nearby, but when we tried to find you, we couldn't locate your energy readings. It was like the both of you disappeared for the moment." Shirabe explained. Atem and Tea looked to each other bearing shocking looks.

"That's why we couldn't hear the sounds from the festival anymore." Tea said.

"Yes, that explains everything." Atem replied. Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Kiyo and Shirabe all looked a little confused from what Tea and Atem were talking about.

"How about we all head back and you guys can tell us what happened?" Tristan said. Everyone gave a nod agreeing to the suggestion and they all ascended into the air safely without having any other bystanders watching them.

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"So Nagaharu came after you guys?" Yugi asked. They were inside the Game Shop and Atem and Tea were explaining everything that happened in their battle with Nagaharu. Some of it shocked the others, but they were relieved that they both defeated Nagaharu...for the moment anyway.

"Yes, he came to finish off what Kiyori planned to do to Tea." Atem said. Joey stood up from his seat and punched his fist into his hand bearing an angry glare.

"Man that jerk, wait until I get a piece of him!" he said. Tristan shook his head looking at Joey as if he were insane.

"And how exactly are you going to do that Joey?" he asked. Joey then looked confused for a second and pondered on the question.

"When I think of something, I'll let you know." Everyone except Atem and Tea just sweat-dropped at Joey's answer.

"He was already damaged enough...from the attacks Tea and I used against him." Tea looked at Atem next to her and seeing that expression on his face. It was a little of how she saw his face before when Yugi's soul was taken away by the Orichalcos, but it was more of a mixture of rage for anything or anyone that was involved with Gyousei, the Shadow Demons and other dark energies. She glanced down and saw his fist clenching so tightly that she was afraid that blood would draw through. So slowly, Tea placed her hand over Atem's to ease a little of his growing anger.

Atem had been thinking of the showdown that happened tonight and how much he wanted to stop Gyousei and his henchmen. It made him so furious that all of this is happening and to Tea none the less. All for a power that she harbors inside of her, something that she never knew about until now. For the first time, he deeply, _deeply _wished that this enemy would be after him instead of Tea. His train of thought was broken when he felt a warm hand over his tightening fist and turned to see Tea looking at him with concerned eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes that has fallen so madly in love with. The same ones that held a pure shine to them and as Atem looked deeper into the depths of Tea's eyes, he could tell that this was scaring her, but she was doing a great job at keeping it well hidden since he could see more determination than fear. He smiled letting her know he was alright and unclenched his hand to hold onto hers.

"I think I know the reason why we couldn't feel Atem and Tea when we were trying to find them. Nagaharu might have placed a barrier over them so that no one would interfere the battle and to keep them from escaping." Shirabe said. Kiyo, in his smaller form, flew over to sit on top of Yugi's shoulder and folding his arms putting himself in a thinking position.

"Yeah, you're right Shirabe, that's the only explaination. Man, those guys and their barriers, I'm surprised that they don't have a barrier to keep them trapped in their _own _world." he said. Joey and Tristan were clutching their stomachs laughing so hard from what Kiyo said. Yugi gave out his own chuckle and while he did this, he saw something that made him turn back to Tristan and Joey to quiet them down.

"Shhh...guys look." he whispered. Everyone turned to where Yugi was pointing and saw that Atem and Tea were fast asleep together. Tea was laying on Atem's shoulder while Atem's head was laying on top of hers. They were completely worn out from the battle and were in the world of dreams oblivious to the conversation from the others.

"Well, at least they're resting." Tristan said. Kiyo flew over to both Atem and Tea and placed his glowing paws on them. His body glowed also as he sensed both of their energies. After a minute of sensing, the glow from his body faded and he casted a smile at everyone watching him.

"They're fine, all of the energy they used tired them out. They'll wake up again in a few hours." he said while floating back over to sit on Yugi's shoulder. Joey stood up from his seat and stretched out his while letting out a loud, tired yawn.

"Man, I'm exhausted so I'm going to head on out of here. Plus, Serenity is suppose to call me and I have to be home so I won't miss her ring." Tristan's ears perked up from hearing Serenity's name and all of a sudden stood up along with Joey.

"Really, Serenity's calling?" he asked with stars in his eyes. All Joey did was give him a side glare giving Tristan the message about his sister.

"Yeah, what of it?" he asked already knowing the answer. Tristan just cleared his throat and shook off the blush that was starting to form.

"No reason, I just wanted to say hi to her is all."

"You mean you want to ask her out on a date, right?" Joey asked. Tristan let out a chuckle and dashed right out of the house feeling Joey starting to chase after him. Before Joey went to kill Tristan, he turned back to Yugi, Kiyo and Shirabe.

"See ya later guys. TRISTAN, GET BACK HERE!" The door closed after Joey zoomed out to catch up with Tristan. Yugi, Shirabe and Kiyo blinked their eyes repeatedly seeing what just happened and chuckled a little.

"Well, Joey and Tristan are gone and Atem and Tea aren't going to wake anytime soon. So are you guys hungry?" Yugi asked. Kiyo flew up in the air with a happy grin on his face.

"I'm starving, I feel like I could eat all night!" Shirabe sighed and then looked at Yugi with a grateful smile.

"That would be very nice Yugi, thank-you." Yugi chuckled and nodded leading them both into the kitchen....well Kiyo was leading the way into the kitchen. Shirabe was about to follow them, but stopped to take a glance at Atem and Tea's sleeping forms. Looking over near the chair, she found a blanket folded over the arm. Raising her paw, she used her powers to gently levitate the blanket and lead it over to cover both of their bodies making sure they were warm. Giving one more smile, she went into the kitchen with Yugi and Kiyo.

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_All around was nothing but fog and Atem was walking around finding any sign of anything besides him that would be here as well. Everywhere he turned was nothing but darkness and an eerie fog that made it very difficult to see through. As he kept walking, he did see something or rather someone up ahead, but it was still too hard to tell who this person could be. When he walked a little closer, there was a feeling coming to Atem that was telling him that he knew this person. The fog was clearing and he could see that it was indeed a woman. She was dressed in a flowing white dress and her hair was a shade of brown. It was then that Atem knew exactly who it was._

_"Tea, is that you?" he asked. When she turned, it was definitely Tea giving him a warm smile. He smiled back and walked forward to meet her, but as he was moving he felt there was something that wasn't right. Like there was this feeling that he couldn't shake off no matter how hard he tried. Tea started walking over to Atem too, wanting to feel his touch around her. Just when they were about to let their hands touch, an exploding darkness came out from behind Tea and grabbed her. Atem's eyes grew so wide seeing what was happening to her. Tea's body was glowing and her energy was draining rapidly. Atem tried to reach her, but there was a barrier that kept him from saving Tea. His fist was pounding on the barrier as he witnessed Tea slipping away from him._

_"No...Tea! TEA!!!!"_

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"No!" Atem woke up from his sleep after just having the most horrific nightmare. He was panting heavily and his eyes were so wide feeling himself break in a cold sweat. He turned next to him to see that Tea was asleep on his shoulder and sighed in relief seeing that she was alright.

_'It was just a dream, she's okay.' _he thought. He laid his head back and watched how Tea slept so soundly and so peacefully. The dream he had seemed so real and it felt like he really lost her to the darkness; lost her forever. Atem noticed that the others weren't around and saw the sky much darker than before making him realizing that it was very late. He guessed that Joey and Tristan left a while ago and that Yugi was upstairs in bed. He then noticed that Shirabe was sleeping near the corner with Kiyo snoring on top of her back. Once he was aware of everything around him, Atem looked back down to Tea and lifted his hand her soft, brown hair and smiled at how she sighed and purred so cutely. He noticed that her eyelids were moving indicating that she was waking up. His heart burst into happiness when he saw those lovely blue eyes.

Tea moaned as she was waking up feeling something warm and comforting beside her. Plus, she felt a hand gliding through her hair making her open her eyes and meet them with a pair of amethyst, the ones that she grew to love. Tea smiled feeling happy that she woke up with the feeling of Atem next to her and a warm blanket covering their bodies. She guessed that one of the others placed it over them.

"Hey." she whispered. Atem kept his smile hearing her angelic voice.

"Hi, did you sleep okay?" he asked.

"Yes, I feel much more energized. How about you?" Atem hesitated to answer her knowing that his sleep wasn't all that pleasant.

"I slept....alright." he said. Tea could see that there was something bothering Atem from the way he answered. Plus, she could see a glint of fear in his eyes that just made her more worried. She also noticed that his face was sweating a little making her take her hand and turning Atem's face so that his eyes were met with hers.

"No...you didn't. Is something wrong?" Atem was quiet, not saying anything until he brought Tea into his arms and embracing her so tightly as if she would vanish at that very moment. Tea noticed this and returned the embrace as she waited for him to speak. She could feel him shaking slightly which just proved that something was wrong with him.

"I just...had a terrible nightmare about you. I was surrounded by fog and it was so thick that I could barely see anything through it...but some of it was clearing up and I could see this woman up ahead. That woman was you Tea." Tea gasped and was stayed silent until Atem finished telling her his dream.

"I started walking over to you and just when I was about to reach you...Tea, you were being taken by this darkness that grabbed you. I tried to get to you, but there was a barrier keeping me getting through. There wasn't anything I could do to help you...you were suffering and the darkness was taking you away. It all felt so real Tea, I was afraid that I was going to lose you." Tea pulled back from the embrace slightly to place her hand on his cheek.

"It's alright, all of that was just a nightmare. I'm okay, see?" she said. Atem leaned into her touch to feel the warmth of her hand.

"I know, but with everything that's going on Tea, I just wish you weren't involved in all of this. You probably think I'm pathetic, don't you?" he said.

"Why would you say that? Of course I don't."

"I'm suppose to be this strong pharaoh and I let something as little as a nightmare get to me." Tea pulled his face closer to hers and she planted a kiss on his lips. Atem was a bit startled, but he immediately returned the kiss with so much passion. They pulled back feeling a bit lightheaded from the kiss, but were both very satisfied.

"You _are _strong Atem and a little nightmare doesn't make you weak. I'm right here, with you and nothing is going to take me away." she said. Atem smiled and nodded.

"You're right, it was all just a dream. I think I was more upset from what Nagaharu was saying about how you're nothing but some vessel. There was no way I was going to let him say that about you Tea. You are so much more special; you're kind, caring and very loving. There isn't anyone else like you Tea and that's what I love about you."

"Oh Atem, I love you too and just like you said to me earlier, together we're going to defeat Gyousei and nothing is going to hurt us or our friends." With that said, Atem pulled Tea back so that their lips would connect again into another kiss. All of their feelings were bursted out as the kiss started to intensify. They were completely unaware of a pair of eyes watching them which belonged to Shirabe after she woke up from hearing voices and was happy to see what she was witnessing.

_'Pharaoh, princess...everything will be just fine. I know with the both of you together as one, Gyousei won't stand a chance. The love you have for your friends...and for each other will be his definite downfall.' _Shirabe closed her eyes after looking at them a little longer to return to her slumber.

**Another chapter done, tell me how you like it in your reviews and I'll try to have the next one up as soon as I can. Also, I'm still taking votes for my poll so if you haven't voted, feel free to do so. The results will be posted sometime next week, thanks again readers.**


	10. The Ice Battle Pt2

**Hey guys, I'm back and I'm so sorry that it took me this long to update. So to make it up to you all, I wrote a very long chapter and trust me, this is the longest chapter that I have ever written. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed my last chapter:**

**Mistress of the King Severian**

**fantasia-49**

**Celeste5502**

**takerschick**

**LuckyKazeLight**

**darkmagiciangirl13**

**Vivid Imaginist**

**CraziAznGirl**

**Ruize**

**dancers of the night**

**Koragirl**

**LivingLegends**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!**

**Summary: In another world thousands of years ago, there lived mystical creatures who lived peacefully, that was until a dark presence threatened to take over. He almost succeeded until he was stopped by a beautiful princess who saved the creatures from his evil wrath. Now 10,000 years later into the present time, he has come back to finish what he started and also get revenge on the one who stopped him.**

**Chapter 10**

The night was still within it's twilight hours as everyone in the city was still in their peaceful slumber, everyone except Atem and Tea who were still awake. An hour since they were awake, they went upstairs to Atem's room with Shirabe following and Kiyo still fast asleep on her back. Tea was sitting next to the window with a blanket around her shoulders while waiting for Atem who was downstairs making them something hot to drink. Hearing a light snore, Tea looked over to Kiyo who was laying on his back talking about creme puffs and cakes as he slept away while Shirabe was curled up sleeping quietly. Tea smiled seeing this and thought about just how much everything changed since Kiyo and Shirabe have been here; a whole new adventure, the discovery of her powers, and lastly....her confession of love to Atem. She blushed at the memory, but sighed happily.

Her thoughts were broken when she smelled something heavenly delicious. Looking up, she found a white mug in front of her and holding the mug was her loving pharaoh offering it to her. Graciously accepting the mug from his hands, Tea took a small sip blissfully sighing from the warm liquid. She felt Atem taking a seat next to her and she watched as he took a sip from his own mug.

"Thanks, this helps alot." she said. Atem smiled and nodded.

"You're welcome, I hope it's made okay."

"Yes, it's made perfectly." Both of them sat in a comfortable silence enjoying their beverage. Bringing her mug down to rest in her hands, Tea's gaze was suddenly drawn to the sky. It was as if the stars were giving her a personal glittery show since she was entranced at the way they were shining in the night sky. It was amazing that something so small and far away could be so beautiful and enchanting existing through century after century. Looking back over to Shirabe and Kiyo, Tea wondered if the stars shined as brightly in their world as it did right now or if Princess Anzu ever glanced at the stars the way she was at this very moment.

"You're so quiet." Tea turned to Atem who was looking at her with a curious gaze as to what was keeping her mind occupied. She smiled and traced the rim of her mug with her finger in a slow circular motion.

"Sorry, I was just looking at the stars. With everything that's been happening lately, I haven't had the time to just sit and watch them." Atem nodded in understanding and glanced at the sky himself. He could relate to how Tea was feeling, to just sit and watch these twinkling dots and pretend as though you were the only one that existed in the world. Atem couldn't remember the last time that he looked at them, as a matter of fact, he never even _took_ the time to because he was more focused on stopping a crazy psychopath that was taking over the world or trying to steal his powers and claim the title of pharaoh.

When Atem glanced away from the sky and over to Tea, he could see that she was still thinking about the encounter with Nagaharu tonight. He couldn't blame her, he was thinking about it too. She didn't know, but as Atem was trapped within the ice, he had seen the way Nagaharu attacked Tea and how much she was hurt from him. It gave him the strength and the ability to bring out his most powerful and affective attack. Moving a little closer, Atem adjusted so that his arm was around Tea's shoulder and that she was leaning against him.

"You're worried about this, aren't you?" he gently asked. Feeling Tea nodding was what made his assumption correct.

"Yeah, but I can't help it though. I keep thinking what's going to happen next when we face Nagaharu, if he or Jouta or even Gyousei are watching us now. We haven't even laid eyes on Gyousei, but he knows what _I _look like seeing that I resemble Princess Anzu."

"Tea, just because we don't know what they're planning doesn't mean we can't stop them." Tea lifted her head from Atem's shoulder to look at him.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because as long as we are together, along with all of our friends, there won't be anything that Gyousei can do to bring us down. He will be the one who will suffer in defeat. His power comes from stolen energy while ours come from the love and the determination of keeping the world safe." Hearing this from Atem made Tea feel a little better knowing that what he said was true. It got through all of the other evil beings that they faced before and this wasn't any different...except this time the evil being is after Tea and not Atem. Placing her head back on his shoulder, Tea let the wise words from Atem process through her mind, but a slight shake interrupted her train of thought for a second as she glanced back at her beloved pharaoh to see that he was shivering slightly. Taking one of his hands, Tea brought it up to place it on her cheek.

"You're cold..." she replied. All Atem did was smile and reassure her that he was okay, but Tea knew better. She knew he was only saying he was fine so that she wouldn't be worried. So she took it upon herself to unwrap the blanket that was around her shoulders so that Atem could use it. Before she could do that however, Atem gently pushed the blanket back to her and kept his smile seeing her confused expression.

"I'm fine, I don't really need it."

"What do you mean? You were frozen in a block of ice for goodness sake, trust me....I know how that feels." she said referring to the duel she had when they were trapped in the Virtual World and was almost completely frozen in ice. Tea felt the blanket being moved again and looked to see Atem wrapping it around both of their bodies. She blushed from the close contact, but sighed peacefully feeling how their bodies were slowly warming up.

"I figure that this would be better than deciding who should get the blanket." Tea giggled and nodded.

"I couldn't agree more." Feeling a kiss being placed on her head, Tea closed her eyes with Atem watching her as she drifted slowly to sleep. As he heard her even breathing, Atem glanced back outside thinking about the run in with Nagaharu. He made a silent promise to defeat the ice demon by any means necessary. After the comment he made about Tea being some sort of vessel made his blood boil. Atem knew that Tea was more than that...._much _more and he sees that everytime he looks at her, which was what he was doing right now. He kept staring at her until his eyes became heavy where he couldn't keep them open anymore and fell fast asleep.

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Coming in through the shadowy portal, Nagaharu was holding his stomach feeling the aftershocks from the the battle with Atem and Tea. He was on his way to where Gyousei was with a look of anger and disgust on his face. He thought that capturing Tea for her energy would be an easy task, but he didn't expect Atem to jump in with that enormous power he had. He wanted to get more power so that he would get Tea and at the same time, get revenge on Atem. Stopping at the entrance, Nagaharu saw Gyousei facing his ritual fire and sacrificing more souls in order to get his power increased. He also saw Jouta leaning against the wall with his arms folded hearing him coming inside, but didn't make any attempts to look up at him.

"Nagaharu..." The wielder of ice was startled when he heard his name being called out by his lord.

"Have you succeeded in capturing the princess? I'm starting to severely dread this waiting." Nagaharu gulped in silence and turned to see Jouta who was now looking at him waiting for his answer as well.

"No my lord, I have not captured her." There was a long, deadly silence and it was so thick that you can cut a knife though it. It was then that Nagaharu knew he was in very, deep trouble if he didn't explain himself.

"So..........you have failed me, just like Kiyori failed me." It wasn't a question he was asking, Gyousei was stating the fact that that is what happened.

"No! No, my lord I haven't failed you. I had her right where I wanted her, but that pharaoh got in my way and-"

**"SILENCE!!"**The flames in front of Gyousei bursted wildly making the whole room glow a scary, green color. He slowly turned around to show the scariest, deadliest, most horrifying glare on his face that was making Nagaharu's body shake all over.

**"I am running out of patience, I told you that I wanted the princess within my grasp and to take out those friends of hers that DARE to get in the way! Her energy is what's going to make me rule this world and I will finally get my revenge!"**

"Yes, I know Lord Gyousei, but the pharaoh caught me off guard with his powers and I had to get away before they took me out." Nagaharu desperately tried to explain to him. Gyousei just kept up his glare while Jouta looked at the whole conversation with a emotionless stare.

**"I'm sick of hearing excuses, you either get that energy that I so desire, or don't show yourself in my presence again. I don't care what you have to do, just get me that POWER!!!"**After Gyousei made the threatening comment, he vanished through a portal to transport to his chamber room. Nagaharu stared at the spot where Gyousei disappeared for a moment before turning back to Jouta. He didn't get any smart remarks from him, but he just watched as Jouta opened his own portal to travel through wear he was sent to go. He was left in the room alone, thinking about what his next task would be and how he would go along with it. A thought strucked his mind and it made him glance up to the fire that was now burning calmly after the raging tirade of his lord. Nagaharu walked closer to the fire and smirked from what he was going to do.

_'This power that Lord Gyousei is creating should give me the strength to defeat that lousy pharaoh. He did say that he didn't care how I did it, so I'll just take enough to get the job done.' _Taking his hand, he placed it over the eerie green fire. Parts of the fire floated out and wrapped around his hand where it started to enter slowly into his body. Nagaharu felt the fire enter him and he screamed from the intense power that he was gaining. The energy charged his ice magic and when it was over, he let out a psychotic laugh feeling himself become much stronger. Unfortunately, he didn't see that he was being watched by Jouta who never exactly left the room. He was hiding in the shadows witnessing what Nagaharu had just done.

_'You are a fool Nagaharu, you will perish just like Kiyori did. Only this time, your own ego will be the cause of your demise.' _With that said, Jouta left to go and take care of what he had started to do.

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A few days have passed since the run in with Nagaharu and within those days, there weren't signs of him or anymore chaos from Gyousei. So far, everything seemed to be peaceful for the moment.

"AAAARGGG!!! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!" Well....it _was _peaceful until Joey started shouting from being inside of a school building all day. Now that he was outside, he felt like he wanted to scream out all of his frustration. Yugi, Tristan, Atem and Tea were laughing since they saw just how Joey wanted to escape the boring lessons and the monotone voice of their teacher. It was actually driving everybody crazy, but Joey seemed to feel it more than anyone else.

"That teacher is so boring, I thought my head was going to screw off from the boredom." Joey said as he started scratching his head.

"Oh c'mon Joey, look on the bright side, at least he was just our substitute for only today." Yugi said. Yes, their regular teacher had to step out for the day which left them stuck...uh, I mean left them in the presence of their substitute. Hearing that they only had him for one day made Joey calm down from his little tirade.

"Yeah, that is true. Man, I was just itching to get out of that class! The square root of this and the circumference of that, ugh, it made me want to show him the square root of my fist. I'm just glad we got a week off from school, so where do you guys want to do?"

"Well, we could go and eat." Joey screamed in fright from Kiyomichi who suddenly came out from behind his shoulder.

"Hey, don't scare me like that!" Kiyo just laughed and flew over to land on Tea's shoulder giving her a nuzzle while letting out a purr. Shirabe showed up too letting down her invisibility powers once she knew that there weren't any bystanders around.

"I am sorry everyone, it's seems Kiyomichi could not sit still no matter how much he tried. When he knew that you were all out of your 'skool' place, he came rushing here wanting to meet all of you." Kiyomichi crossed his arms and pouted.

"Tattle-tale." he whispered. Tea giggled when she heard him say that.

"It's okay Shirabe, as long as no one saw you." Tristan came over next to Joey and placed an arm over his shoulder trapping him in a light headlock.

"Well, I'm going to have to agree with Kiyo over here about eating. I'm starving, who's with me?" Joey was the first one to answer followed by Kiyomichi. Atem, Tea, Yugi and Shirabe soon agreed and they all started walking out of the schoolyard, but as they were walking, none of them noticed a figure lurking in the distance.

_'Time for the fun to begin.'_ The figure then snapped his fingers where his plan was now going into motion.

Shirabe stopped in her tracks and growled feeling an evil presence nearby. Atem and Tea could sense it as well and they turned in the direction to where Shirabe was looking; at the rooftop of the school. There wasn't anyone there, however, but they could still feel the energy.

"What is it guys?" Yugi asked when he, Joey and Tristan all stopped to see the distressed looks on their friends faces.

"Someone's here, it feels like Nagaharu....but..." Atem said.

"...it feels different....like he has more power now. His energy isn't like it was when we fought him." Tea said finishing what Atem was going to say.

_'Tea, watch out!' _Tea was startled when she heard a voice warning her of danger. It was then the unthinkable happened. Large, sharp icicles came out of nowhere and circled rapidly around Atem and Tea. There was no way for them to get free. Shirabe and Kiyo quickly tried to free them with their powers and Yugi, Tristan and Joey also summoned their duel monsters in order to help, but none of their attacks were working. Just then, the ice was spinning so fast and before anyone knew it, Atem and Tea......were gone.

"ATEM! TEA!" Yugi shouted and wondered where the two of them had disappeared.

"No use in shouting their names, they can't hear you from where they are." The gang looked to where the voice was being heard and saw Nagaharu coming out of one of his dark portals bearing an evil smirk.

"Why you no good freak of NATURE!!! What did you do with our friends?!" Joey said shaking a fist ready to punch out a certain ice demon.

"Don't worry, they're in a place where I can keep and eye on them and also get my payback from the little fight we had before. Too bad you didn't say your goodbyes because that was the last time you would ever see them again."

"What do you plan to do to them?!" Tristan hollered feeling so angry that two of his best friends were taken.

"Like I said before, I'm going to make them pay for making me feel like a fool. Catch you guys again when Lord Gyousei takes over the world." Nagaharu opened his portal again and disappeared leaving the others desperately worried for the safety of their friends and what it was that Nagaharu would do to them.

"Oh great, what do we do now?! We got to figure out what Nagaharu did with Atem and Tea." Joey said. Kiyo floated above everyone grabbing their attention to what he was going to say.

"I can sense their energies and find out where they are, just leave it to me guys." Kiyo's golden aura appeared around his body as he closed his eyes to try and sense out where Tea and Atem could be with the others waiting and watching. Yugi glanced up at the sky and silently prayed upon their safety.

_'Guys, please be okay.'_

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Waking up after being knocked out unexpectedly, Atem opened his eyes only to be greeted with a place very familiar to him. He tried to remember what it was that got him here in the first place and it dawned on him that he and Tea were transported here by spinning icicles and knew right then that it was all the work of Nagaharu. This now made Atem extremely angry because Nagaharu has now put him and Tea into grave danger with absolutely no idea pf how to escape. Speaking of Tea, Atem glanced around the room to try and find where his blue-eyed beauty was and found her still passed out on the ground next to him. He moved closer to gently shake her shoulder.

"Tea, wake up." After a few moving motions, Tea opened her eyes when she heard her name being called and seeing a blurry vision of Atem clearing in her view. She slowly sat up to place her hand on her throbbing head to ease the pain that was building up and looked around her surroundings to figure out where they were. After getting the full image of where they were and recognizing their location, she turned to Atem wondering if he knew what was going on, but all she had to say was one name.

"Nagaharu..."she said. Atem nodded and helped her up from where they were on the floor. Looking confused, Tea turned to Atem who was also trying to figure out some answers.

"Why would he transport us here? It doesn't make any sense."

"I don't know, it is very strange that he did this. There must be some sort of reason. Let's just worry about getting out to the others, they must be wondering where we are." he said while looking around. Tea nodded and went over to the door to slide it open, but when she opened the door, Tea let out a very....startled....gasp that made Atem glance her way when he heard it. He could also see the way her body was shaking in fear.

"Tea.....what is it? What do you see?" he asked. Tea slowly turned back to Atem with wide eyes.

"Atem....I don't think it's going to be that easy to get out of here." Not understanding what she was talking about, Atem went over to look and see why they couldn't leave, but when he did, he also let out a gasp from what he was witnessing. It was then, that they finally realized just how difficult this was going to be.

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"No way! Are you serious?! Tea and Atem are actually right inside the school?!" Joey asked Kiyo.

"Yeah, they are.......well, not exactly inside...but then you have to look that they really are inside, but not exactly physically..."

"WOULD YOU JUST TELL US IF THEY ARE OR NOT ALREADY?!!!!" Joey thought he was about to pull a blood vessel and it was taking all Tristan and Yugi had just to keep Joey from strangling the talking cat. Kiyo just sighed and tried to explain it.

"They are inside, but they aren't inside at the same time. It's a little confusing so we'll try our best to explain." Shirabe decided that this was her cue to talk now.

"Nagaharu transported Atem and Tea to another dimension. They might see things inside the school that you all are familiar with, but there are certain traps and passageways that are also inside. By now, they could be witnessing something off inside and they must be careful if they want to escape." she said.

"So, how do they get out? Can't we just go in and save them?" Yugi asked not liking how all of this is sounding. Shirabe shook her head no very slowly.

"I'm afraid not, the only way for them to escape is for them to defeat whatever it is that Nagaharu has planned. Kiyomichi and I, however, can locate Atem and Tea's energy readings and transport to where they are to help them."

"Well, whatever it takes to bring them back. It's the only shot we have, you guys agree?" Tristan said to Joey and Yugi who immediately agreed.

"We do, just make sure that they are okay guys. We'll wait here for when you both get back....when you ALL get back." Yugi said. Shirabe and Kiyo could see just how much Yugi, Joey and Tristan were worried about Atem and Tea knowing that right now they could be in alot of danger. So they were going to make sure to do everything they could to bring their friends back. Giving them affirmative looks, both of their aura's glowed around their bodies to sense out the energy readings. A minute passed by and there wasn't a trace of them yet. Two minutes passed, still nothing. Three, nothing until it was the fourth minute that stroked by that they finally picked up a reading. Opening their own portal, Kiyo and Shirabe both went inside leaving the guys watching as the portal closed. All they could do now was wait for any trace of their friends. Hopefully, they will come back safe and sound.

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The look of shock were still upon the faces of Atem and Tea as they stared out into the halls of the school...only it wasn't how the halls usually looked. They were looking at a long pathway of ice that was everywhere. Along the wall, above the ceilings and further out was nothing but ice. There was a spiral staircase that led all the way up to the top of the roof. Feeling a shiver running through their bodies, Atem led Tea back inside and closed the door.

"He's got us trapped here, this is all my fault..." Tea said as she slid down to the floor.

"How is this your fault, Tea?" Atem asked as he sat down next to her.

"Before we were captured, I heard a voice....it sounded like Princess Anzu and she was warning me to look out, but I didn't react to it in time. If I did, then we wouldn't be here in the first place." Feeling her hand being lifted up slightly, Tea turned to Atem who was now trying to comfort her.

"Don't blame yourself Tea, you couldn't have known what was going to happen, none of us did. Right now, let's just concentrate on how we're going to defeat Nagaharu once and for all." It took Tea a minute to answer, but when she did, she gave Atem a hug thankful that he always has a way of making her feel better and they both stood up again.

"You're right, we should be trying to find a way out of here. Question is, how are we going to do that?"

"Do not worry, I am here to help you Tea." Tea gasped when she heard Anzu's voice and turned around to see her clear as a bell. She was standing next to the window in her white dress looking distressed, but relieved to have found her and Atem.

"Anzu, how did you get here?" Tea asked. Princess Anzu just smiled and walked closer to Tea to take both of her hands.

"I'm apart of you, remember? So whenever you need me, I'll be right here with you. I'm glad that I was able to find you too, Nagaharu has sent you here to take revenge on you and your pharaoh. He won't stop until he has succeeded in capturing you for Gyousei and drain your energy. He has also made his powers much stronger than they were before, that is how he has managed to bring the two of you here."

"It doesn't matter how much power Nagaharu has consumed, he is not going to prevail." Tea looked behind her forgetting the fact that Atem was still with her, but what surprised her was that he was here _and _in the same room with Anzu there too.

"You can see her Atem?" she asked. Atem nodded and Anzu giggled again as she let go of Tea's hands.

"I'm not surprised that he can see me, I can sense a very strong aura coming from you. You're Tea's chosen one, it's nice to finally meet you in person my pharaoh." Anzu said as she curtsied to Atem. Atem was amazed at how she and Tea looked so much alike. They had the same shade of blue eyes, the same apricot skin and the same brown hair color. The only difference is that Anzu's hair was much more longer than Tea's. He smiled and bowed in respect for her.

"Likewise, and thank-you for all of the help that you have been giving to Tea."

"You're welcome, I wish this was a more pleasant meeting. I'm very sorry that you and the rest of your friends are involved in all of this." she said.

"Don't be sorry Anzu, this isn't the first time we've been exposed to evil magic." Tea said. Anzu smiled hearing how brave Tea was in this situation, but she needed to let her and Atem know something that she hasn't revealed to them.

"Yes, but there's something that I must tell you. Something that I should have told you when we were meditating together." Atem and Tea were quiet as they waited to hear what it was that Anzu needed to say to them.

"Throughout the years that I have known Gyousei, he has done alot of evil and despicable things that he hasn't felt any remorse for, but he wasn't like this before. When I first met Gyousei, he was a kind and gentle man. I've known him for a very long time and we've became such good friends. He also wanted to live in world of peace and tranquility just as I did."

"Do you remember what it was that made him turn evil?" Atem asked. Unfortunately, Anzu shook her head.

"I wish I did know, but no, I do not. One day, he was my loving friend and the next thing I know, he changed into this whole different person. I tried my best to show him that what he was doing to our world was wrong, but whatever was possessing him was clouding his thoughts. He went too far when he suddenly attacked my world and all of the creatures living there. All to get our source of light that was keeping our world in balance. He wasn't the friend that I once knew so I had no choice but to destroy him, even if it meant that I was sacrificed in the process." she said while wiping a tear from her eye.

Atem and Tea looked at each other taking in on what Anzu just told them. Something caused Gyousei to become the evil being that he was now. Question is, what _was _that something that corrupted Gyousei's soul? A slight tremer went through Atem as he looked towards the door of the classroom with an intense glare. He knew that it was was the same feeling from before he and Tea were sent here.

"Nagaharu...he's on the roof, isn't he?" Anzu nodded answering him.

"Yes, he is. Before you both go and face him, you have to know that Nagaharu has consumed a large amount of energy that Gyousei has been storing away. This is why his energy feels much more different than before so you both need to be careful when you face him." Tea walked over to Anzu and gave her a hug feeling Anzu returning the embrace.

"We will, thank-you Anzu for all of you help." Atem also came over to place a hand on Anzu's shoulder to offer his thanks as well.

"Whatever source that took over Gyousei, Tea, my friends and I will make sure that it is destroyed from him. All of the past enemies that we have faced before started out good and they were controlled by some unknown force. Believe me, it was hard and there were times where I thought it was hopeless, but having my friends with me made me keep going. After having those enemies defeated, they were able to see the light again." Anzu smiled and nodded.

"Thank-you for telling me that pharaoh, it makes me believe that Gyousei will return to the way he was. I have no doubt in my mind that you all won't prevail, but remember that I will offer as much help when I..." Anzu turned silent for a moment as she closed her eyes feeling something.

"What is it Anzu?" Tea asked. She still didn't say anything, but she suddenly smiled and turned to Atem and Tea.

"Kiyomichi and Shirabe are coming." she said.

"They must have sensed out where we were. " Atem replied.

"Why don't you stay and wait for them Anzu? They'll be really happy to see you." Tea said. Even though Anzu did want to see Kiyomichi and Shirabe, she sadly shook her head to decline the idea. This made Atem and Tea confused as to why she wouldn't want to see her friends.

"I can not let them see me, not yet. Yes, I miss them very dearly and I know how they must feel too. When I do see them again, it will be for when we say our goodbyes. I have never said a proper goodbye to them, so please if you can do me this favor. Please do not tell them that I was here." she said. Understanding what she was trying to say, Atem and Tea nodded to grant her wish.

"We won't if that's what you want." Atem said.

"Thank-you, I feel them coming now so I have to take my departure. Please be careful in your battle with Nagaharu and I will return very soon. Goodbye and keep each other safe." Princess Anzu then waved as her body turned transparent and disappeared. Right after she left, there was a portal of light that formed inside the classroom and out came Shirabe and Kiyo who held looks of relief on their faces seeing Atem and Tea safe.

"You guys, we found you!" Kiyo said as he flew over to land on Atem's shoulder feeling happy. Shirabe went over next to Tea and purred when she felt her petting the top of her head.

"We are so glad to have found you both, are you alright?" Atem and Tea nodded both feeling happy that they were found. Kiyo hopped off of Atem's shoulder and floated in mid air as he started making punches as if there were invisible enemies in the room.

"That Nagaharu has gone too far, it's time we settled the score."

"We will, he's waiting for us on top of the roof. The time has come to put an end to Nagaharu's terror on us." Atem said. Giving affirmative nods agreeing with what Atem said, they all walked to open the door of the classroom and stepped out into the icy halls that were once the hallways of the school. Everything was covered with deadly cold, slippery ice that Nagaharu created in this dimensional realm. When they were all out of the room, the door immediately slammed shut causing the four them to turn and watch as it disappeared leaving them with nowhere else to go, but forward. Kiyo, still floating in the air, started laughing nervously.

"Well, I guess we can't go back the way we came, huh?"

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Waiting in the dark depths of the night in this dimensional realm, Nagaharu was waiting high up on the rooftop for Atem and Tea to come. He was anxious to use the new powers that he gained from the energy he took from Gyousei. He knew that once Gyousei found out that there was going to be deep trouble for him, but he didn't worry about that because once he captured Tea and her energy for his lord, he wouldn't be penalized for any wrong doings. He felt so confident that he would be victorious in this mission, but this was more than just a mission. Nagaharu wanted to personally take down Atem. He wanted to enjoy watching Atem suffer just the way he did to him in their last battle. Nagaharu couldn't shake off the humiliation of defeat since he was always the one who was the strongest when it came to someone challenging him. Yet this pharaoh came along and threw him around like an oversized sack. Clenching his fist, Nagaharu kept his glare facing the door where his opponents will be coming through and smirked.

"Tick, tock, tick, tock....it's almost time for you all to meet your demise." As he was planning out what sort of attacks he would be using in the fight, he didn't notice that he was being watched by Jouta who was standing on a much higher platform. He didn't comment on anything, he didn't even have to because he knew how this battle would end and when it does, he would have to be the one to pick up the pieces which was something that he wasn't looking forward to doing.

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"Okay, I spy with my little eye something clear and cold."

"Ice..."

"Aw man, you got it again. Let's see....I spy with my little eye something sharp and pointy."

"Ice..."

"Shoot...okay, I spy with my little eye-"

"Ice and let me save you the trouble on the next one Kiyomichi, it's ice."

"DARN IT!" It was still a long way to go up to the rooftop and the four heroes was now starting up on the spiral steps after just finishing with the long tread through the dark halls. Kiyo thought it would be a great idea to lift everyone spirits with a little game of 'I Spy' and sadly he wasn't very good at the game. It was okay though since he succeeded in taking the worry off of the minds of his friends even for just a little while. Tea's arms were around her to shied herself from the bitter cold, but her mind wasn't thinking about that right now. She was thinking about the conversation her and Atem had with Anzu.

"You're thinking about it too?" Looking beside her, Tea found Atem watching her bearing the same look on his face as she did. She gave a silent nod to answer his question and made sure that their voices were low enough so that Kiyo and Shirabe didn't hear the conversation.

"Yeah, I am and I just don't understand. Anzu said that Gyousei was once good, but what made him turn evil like this? What could have caused it?" Atem had those same questions running through his mind. They still had alot to do if they ever want to find out the answers. Shivers went down their backs as they climbed up the spiral staircase with the cold becoming more intense.

"M-m-man, i-it's f-fr-freezing." Kiyo said as he tried to shield the cold from his body.

"It's s-seems like the f-f-further we climb, the closer we a-are to Nagaharu." Shirabe said feeling very cold as well. Atem brought Tea into his chest to keep them warm with their body heat. He could feel her trying to bury herself as close as she could to him. The temperature dropped whenever they took a step up and they wouldn't last if they kept going like this. Tea gasped as an idea came to her and she reluctantly pulled out of Atem's arms. She took out her necklace and transformed it into her staff.

"I'm going to form a shield around us so huddle together."

"You don't have to tell me twice Tea." Kiyo said and then flew over until he was perched on her shoulder. Shirabe also came close to stand next to Atem. Taking one of her hands, Tea formed a blue transparent shield large enough to secure her, Atem, Shirabe and Kiyo inside. Having the shield around them kept out the cold, but it still wasn't enough to warm them. Holding up her staff, Tea summoned up her fire magic and touched the shield with her staff causing the blue to turn slowly into a firery, crimson and warming everyone inside.

"Wow, that's feels much better." Kiyo said as he flew around to warm up his wings and the rest of his body.

"Tea, this is amazing, how did you do that?" Atem asked as he moved next to her looking at her shield in fascination. Tea smiled and clutched her staff close to her chest.

"Well, it was part of my training. It was something that I thought would help us from tight spots like this."

"And you couldn't be anymore right, well done Tea." Shirabe said feeling very proud of her.

"Now we can continue on, let's go." Atem said. With the shield protecting them, they continued their way up the spiral stairs. After climbing the long flight, they reached the top and in front of them was the door to the roof. It was covered with frost and ice making it seemed like it was frozen shut. Knowing that the battle was about to start, Tea tapped her star pendant and her clothes transformed to her battle gear and Atem summoned his sword. Kiyo transformed into his larger form while Shirabe let out a series of lightning bolts around her body. It was now time to face the ice demon behind the door. Atem touched the knob and hissed feeling how cold it was to turn and open it. When he pushed the door, the roof wasn't as they expected it to be. Not that they expected anything to be the same, but the sight was still a bit surprising. The ground was layered with frost and the sky showed a swirl of emmence darkness. The door shut behind once they came onto the roof and to make matters worse, there was a barrier where they wouldn't be able to escape. Tea had let down her shield once it was safe enough.

"So you all finally showed up, I was getting pretty bored with all of this waiting." Nagaharu dropped down from the pole that he was standing on top of and smirked evilly at his visitors. Atem's glare was so full of hate for this being in front of him and he tightened the grip of his sword wanting to so badly to attack him now. Tea's staff glowed blue and formed one of her energy orbs in her hand. Shirabe's lighting was getting to its strongest point and Kiyo's golden aura glowed around him.

"Your terror stops right here Nagaharu." Atem said in a scary voice.

"No, my terror stops when I get you out of the way and I have that pretty little princess in my hands. You two got lucky in our last fight, but now I'm much more powerful. So, it will be impossible to defeat me. Why don't we get started?" Nagaharu's power grew ten times than it did before thanks to the energy he stole from Gyousei. This battle wasn't going to be an easy one, they knew that. Nagaharu started out by summoning his spear to attack. Sharp icicles flew out rapidly from it and Atem instantly blocked them with his sword. When they were gone, Nagaharu just laughed and then attacked them again with large frozen spikes coming out of the ground. Tea quickly summoned her saucer to get her and Atem off the ground and away from them. Kiyo and Shirabe flew up to avoid the spikes as well.

"He's lost it, the power Nagaharu has gained is going straight to his head." Kiyo said in his deep voice. He formed one of his powerful golden spheres and shot it at Nagaharu. Shirabe used her lightning powers to combine with the sphere. Gliding on the saucer, Tea shot out five of her energy orbs and fireballs from her staff with Atem behind her shooting his powerful golden beam from his sword. All of the attacks hit Nagaharu and it caused a huge fog of smoke. Coming down from the sky, the four of them landed on the ground and waited to see how much damage was caused. Nothing happened for a minute and it seemed as if they were waiting for an eternity.

"Nice try, but those attacks are useless!" Nagaharu shot out of the fog and rapidly came after Tea with glowing hands to grab her. He was tackled by Shirabe and she held onto his arm with her mouth to keep him from hurting anyone else.

"Rotten beast, get off me!" He punched Shirabe away from him making her hit the wall. Nagaharu was about to charge up another attack on her when he was brought down by one of Kiyo's spheres. Kiyo took a protective stance in front of Shirabe and growled.

"Stay away from her!"

"Kiyomichi?" Shirabe groaned as she tried to sit up. Kiyo turned and gently nuzzled her.

"Don't get up Shirabe, you're hurt." Shirabe just stared at Kiyo in shock. Could this be the same loud-talking, cake-eating cat that she knew? Her thoughts were broken when she heard him yelling out in pain when he was hit by Nagaharu who was now getting up. He watched with a smug look and the satisfaction of how he brought them down.

"Why don't you two be good little kitties and stay down?" Taking his hand, Nagaharu placed a barrier around Kiyo and Shirabe to make sure that they don't interfere with the battle. He then turned to around to find his real opponents.

"Now, to take care of-" He felt a twinge of pain in his back from being hit by Atem's sword knocking him off balanced. When he tried to get up, Nagaharu was hit again, only this time it was multiple energy orbs from Tea.

Atem and Tea witnessed what Nagaharu did to Kiyomichi and Shirabe and were completely livid with him. They had to defeat him before he caused anymore damage. Atem looked over to where Kiyo and Shirabe were laying and could see how hurt they were from the attacks Nagaharu gave them. If he was able to take them down, then his powers must be ten times more stronger.

"Tea, you go and try to free Shirabe and Kiyo from the barrier, I'll take care of Nagaharu." he said not taking his eyes off of his opponent. Tea shook her head and tried to get Atem to change his mind.

"Are you crazy? I'm not leaving you to fight him alone. He's too dangerous right now Atem and we need to work together to defeat him." Atem didn't respond to her since he was keeping his eye on Nagaharu, but when he did take a glance at her, she was startled from the intensity of his eyes. They bore rage, hate, and worry all in one.

"He's more focused on trying to take you away than anything and I refuse to let him anywhere near you, Tea. Please, to keep you safe, just let me handle Nagaharu, okay?" he said. Tea could hear Atem pleading with her to listen and she couldn't deny him, but she also didn't want to see any harm come to him. She knew though that he would be fine, he has faced many enemies that were total psychos like Nagaharu before for crying out loud.

"Okay....just promise me you'll be careful." Atem smiled and gave her wink.

"I will, don't worry." Tea reached up to kiss Atem and left to break the barrier that was holding Kiyo and Shirabe. This left Atem and Nagaharu alone to fight and only one of them would be victorious. Atem stood with his sword in front of him in a fighting stance waiting for the right moment to cast and attack on the psychotic ice demon.

"So touching, sharing one last goodbye to the one you love. You know, that's a total sign of a tragedy....oh wait, that's exactly what this is going to lead up to when I destroy you." Nagaharu said while pointing his spear at Atem.

"Believe me, that's not going to happen. Now are you going to keep talking or are we going to fight because I'm getting sick of wasting my time with you!" Atem wasn't playing around, he seriously wanted to get rid of Nagaharu and all this maniac was doing was laughing around hurting his friends. Well, he was going to make sure the smirk was wiped from his face one way or another. Nagaharu got into position and stood in a battle stance.

"Fine, the sooner we end this, the sooner I can get my hands on your lovely princess." That did it, Atem was now going to make sure he never laid eyes on him. He charged quickly at Nagaharu with his sword ready to graze him. Nagaharu also charged at him with his spear and when they both attacked, their weapons clashed into each other. Both of them pushing against the other. Atem's sword glowed red and using his powers, he put more force into his sword to push Nagaharu right off and quickly attacked him with a swirl of fire. Nagaharu took a full impact, but because of the increase of his energy, Nagaharu just shook it off.

"You got me with that attack before, but it's not going to work this time." Just then, the spear in his hand started to transform. Three spikes grew at the top and a dark aura swirled around the weapon. Letting out a smirk, he zapped out a powerful beam from the spear at Atem. Taking his sword, Atem blocked the attack, but it was too strong and he was struggling to hold out. The blast came through and Atem was sent back taking a direct hit from the attack. He was stunned for the moment, but Atem got into position again to plant another attack on Nagaharu, hopefully it would give him time to think of a strategy. Looking up quickly when he sensed a rapid incoming aura, Atem lifted his sword to block the spear that was about to hit him. Ngaharu had this crazy look and was determined to bring down Atem with every bit of power he possessed.

Tea reached the barrier where Shirabe and Kiyo were trapped inside and could see that they were both injured badly from the attacks that they took from Nagaharu. With her staff, she used her fire magic hoping that it would somehow break the barrier. She could hear the battle from behind and quickly turned to see the outcome. So far, it was a stalemate until Nagaharu summoned his powers to injure Atem. She could only hope and pray that she would hurry in time so that she could help out her pharaoh.

It was a clash between weapons now as Atem fought him with his sword. All you could hear was the clanging sounds as they collided with each other. Nagaharu chuckled evilly which made Atem knew that he was planning something. He found out too late when there was a glow coming from Nagaharu's fist. It came in contact with Atem's stomach causing him to jerk back and fall down in pain. He groaned and tried to move again, but his body wouldn't agree with him. Atem managed to stand however, but very slowly. He panted heavily and kept a good grip on his sword. Nagaharu wasn't pleased with this.

"Can't you just stay down?! Give it up, with all of this immense power that I consumed, there's no way you can defeat me."

"As long as I'm still standing, I won't give up. I refuse to let you take away the one I care and cherish for. So no matter what happens to me, I will protect her!" With the blade still red, Atem blasted another attack from his sword to try and weaken Nagaharu. It did cause some damage, but not enough to take him out. While he was distracted from the blast, Atem quickly ran back to give him another full blown attack. He swung his sword which caused Nagaharu to yell out in both shock and pain as he skidded along the ground. He picked himself back up, but growled as he turned his murderous glare at Atem. He took his spear and shot out the same aura making Atem block it again with his sword. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to hold out like he did before and he was knocked back causing him to roll to the edge of the roof. Lifting his head, he looked to see a very, very long distance and he wasn't even able to see the bottom since it was so foggy. He heard footsteps stopping behind him, but he was too drained to see who it was.

Tea was still using her fire magic on the barrier and she was very close to breaking it. She could see cracks starting to form and soon she would be able to free Shirabe and Kiyo from it. She was interrupted from her concentration when she found a paw against the barrier trying to grab her attention. The paw belonged to Kiyo and he and Shirabe were looking very frightened for some reason.

"What's wrong guys?" Her question was answered when she heard a painful groan and when she turned to see what it was, the sight of it made her gasp in fear. Atem was at the edge of the roof hurt with Nagaharu standing over him preparing to push him over. She had to stop him in time, but she also had to free Kiyo and Shirabe. They knew that she was hesitating and they urged her to go after Atem.

"Hurry Tea, we'll be fine here!" Kiyo said. Tea nodded and went to save her pharaoh.

Nagaharu chuckled again and a dark aura appeared around his body. Atem couldn't do anything since his whole body was in pain. He felt himself being lifted up by his shirt collar and with the last bit of strength he had, he opened his eyes to see Nagaharu's evil face. His grip on the sword grew more tighter despite how he was feeling.

"It's amazing that you're still alive from the attacks that I gave you. Although, you are the 'Almighty Pharaoh'. If my powers couldn't kill you, then the fall definitely will. Any last words before you drop to your doom?" Atem looked to his left and could see Tea running to try and stop Nagaharu from dropping him. Tears were flowing down her eyes and it made his heart break.

"Tea...." he said weakly.

"How ironic that your last word would be the name of your lover. Reminds me of a certain tragedy I read, I forgot the name of it. Oh well, not important right now, it's time for you to depart from this world. So long, Pharaoh." Nagaharu let go of Atem's collar and watched him as he disappeared into the dreaded thick fog. Tea ran over to the edge and didn't find one trace of Atem anywhere. Her heart stopped for that second seeing as how she had just lost the most important person in her life.

"No..." she whispered. She couldn't breathe, no air would pass through her lungs. When she was able to breathe, she yelled.

**"ATEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"**

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_'Is this it?'_

Atem was falling fast through the thickness of this dimensional fog. He didn't know how long he was falling, but all he knew was that he was falling to his doom. Was this really the end of him?

_'Is this really how I'm going to die? I just can't see myself leaving everyone I care for. I can't see myself leaving......'_

_"ATEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEM!!!!"_

Atem gasped when he heard his name being screamed out by the one person he saw last before he was dropped.

_'TEA!' _He gripped his sword so tightly, he thought that his hand would bleed. It was then that his gripping hand was glowing a golden color which was slowly traveling to his sword.

_'No, I'm not going to die this way!' _The Millennium Puzzle was also glowing and the Eye of Horus appeared on his forehead.

_'I won't leave my friends behind!'_ The glow was then moving around his body and his uniform was transforming into a different attire.

**'_I REFUSE TO DIE!!!' _**Flipping backwards, he jammed his sword into the building to try and slow himself down from falling any further. Once he was able to get control, Atem took out his sword and with the help of his glowing aura, he had the ability to fly back up to the roof in rapid speed. He only had two thoughts in his head and they were to take out Nagaharu and to protect his friends. Atem wasn't going to let this happen to him again, he was going to make sure Nagaharu paid big time.

_'I'm almost at the top Tea, don't worry I'll be there soon and Nagaharu, prepare for me to take you down!'_

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From where they were trapped, Shirabe and Kiyo both witnessed a horrible sight as they watched Atem being dropped from the roof by Nagaharu. They were helpless to do anything thanks to this barrier around them. Kiyo let out a roar and tried to break the barrier using his powers. He even tackled it a few times on the cracks that Tea had made when she tried to break it. Shirabe watched the determination Kiyo had in his eyes. She knew that Kiyo would fight for others, but this is the first time that she has witnessed him being this angry and worried. She looked up when she heard Nagaharu roaring with laughter.

"I did it, I finally did it! I have done what no one else has ever accomplished! I have succeeded in defeating the pharaoh! Oh, Lord Gyousei would have to make me his right hand man for getting rid of him! Now all I have to do is take care of the princess." He started walking over to where Tea was still sitting on the egde of the roof.

Tea couldn't tear her eyes from where Atem was dropped. Her body was numb, she had no feeling left. She felt like all of her feelings were gone the moment Atem disappeared in the fog. The only thing she did feel was hate. **Hate **for the person who was responsible....**Hate** for the person who caused all of this....**HATE **for the person who just took her one and only love away from her! Tea clenched her staff tightly in her hand and her eyes slowly glowed light blue. She would not stand for this, she was going to make Nagaharu pay for what he has done. She heard him walking behind her and guessed with his overconfident attitude, he had won this whole battle. Oh, she was going to wipe that smirk clear from his face. She kept her back against him and waited for the right moment to attack.

"Well pretty princess, seems like there's nothing you can do now. Your pharaoh is gone and your little kitty cats are out of the way, so whatever you're thinking of to turn this whole thing around, it's not goi-" His annoying ranting was cut off when Tea swung her glowing staff in his face which made him crash into the wall. She wasn't done with him though, Tea created large energy orbs in her hands and blasted them to where Nagaharu had landed. Her eyes were still glowing, but her eyes were filled with anger, loathe, and revenge. She alternated between hands, when she shot an orb with her left hand, she shot another with her right and continued doing the same thing over and over until it was enough for her to know that he was in immense pain. When she stopped, there was a cloud of fog like before and Tea waited for any sign of Nagaharu.

"Woah, you must be totally pissed right now. If I knew this would get you to bring out your strongest attacks, I would have killed your pharaoh the minute I saw him." The smoked cleared and Nagaharu stepped out. He was a little injured, but it wasn't good enough for Tea. She didn't comment back on what he said, instead she just twirled her staff and charged at him with the crystal orb on her staff changing to red. When she threw her twirling staff at Nagaharu, it looked like a flying flaming fire wheel was aiming for him. He tried to dodge it, but the staff was moving so fast that it hit him dead on. The staff magically flew back to Tea's hands. Nagaharu didn't like how this was going at all.

"Alright, no more games. Time to take you out, princess!" With his spear, Nagaharu attacked Tea causing her to crash into the wall, but also there was a sheet of thick ice keeping her from moving. Her eyes glowed even more intense as she struggled to try and break free from the ice.

"No use in trying to escape, that is my most thickest ice ever created so you're not going anywhere. Now, let's work on getting that energy out of you." He placed both of his hands on Tea's shoulders and started pumping out her energy. She screamed feeling the same way Kiyori drained her energy before. Nagaharu was taking great pleasure in watching her wither in pain.

"Oh man, what power! If Lord Gyousei wasn't after this energy, I would gladly take it for myself!" Tea was desperately trying to free herself, but the ice wasn't letting up and she couldn't use her powers because that would mean more of her energy would be taken.

"Don't worry pretty princess, it's going to be over very soon." Nagaharu's fun was ended when he felt himself being hauled back and tackled right into the same wall he crashed into twice. This time, the crash was very painful and wondered what it was that did this to him.

"Okay, I'm getting sick of crashing into this wall! Who's the one who did it this time?!" He looked up to see a mysterious cloaked figure breaking the barrier that was holding Kiyo and Shirabe and the ice that was holding Tea. He caught her and carried her bridal-style. The figure placed her down safely making sure she was okay.

Tea felt herself being taken into someone's arms and getting her away from that pain that Nagaharu was giving to her. She moaned and lifted her head to see who was this mysterious person that saved her.

"Who are you?" The hooded figure glanced down at her when she spoke to him and with his hand, he moved a strand of her hair that was blocking her eye.

"Don't tell me you forgot me already." Tea gasped when she heard that familiar voice, but she wanted to make sure that she wasn't dreaming or hallucinating. Taking both of her hands she moved them up so that they were touching the hood that was hiding the person's face and pushed it down to reveal who it was.

"Atem?"

"In the flesh." Atem said as he smiled at her. He was brought to a surprise when she threw herself into his arms again and started sobbing in his chest. Atem embraced her and calmed her down by whispering soothing words to her.

"I thought I lost you, how did you...." Atem placed a finger to her lips.

"Let's just say that faith is on our side." Tea nodded satisfied with that and wiped her eyes. She then noticed that his clothing changed. He was wearing a hooded cloak just like hers, but his was black. He had a black long sleeved shirt and black pants that held silver chains on the side of his pockets. To Tea, he was her black knight out of the shadows. Shirabe and Kiyo both came to join them and Tea was happy that they were safe and out of that barrier.

"Atem, are you alright?" Shirabe asked. Atem stood up from his position on the ground while helping up Tea and nodded.

"I'm fine, it was a really close call for me though."

"I hear that, we're just glad that you're okay." Kiyo said.

"How can this be possible?!" The four of them glanced over to Nagaharu who was also standing up from his crash and he wasn't looking very happy at all.

"You're supposed to be dead and out of the way, how is it that you were able to survive?!" Atem took out his sword and held it in front of him like before.

"I guess you just don't know me very well, it's going to take more than that to get rid of me. Now, enough of this talking, I'm getting annoyed by your voice. Let's settle this now!" Twirling her staff again, Tea also got into a battle stance along with Kiyo, who had his golden aura around him and Shirabe, who had lightning bolts charged around her body. Nagaharu, still feeling over confident just took his spear to prepare to fight again. He swung his spear and fired out an attack. Atem, Tea, Shirabe and Kiyo all stood their ground as the blast was coming for them. The attack crashed into them causing smoke to appear. Nagaharu laughed when he got them.

"Well, looks like nothing changed. That attack was made to be unstoppable, no one can survive that." Nagaharu waited to see the damaged he caused, but what he saw wasn't what he expected.

"WHAT?!" When the smoke cleared, there was no sign of Atem, Kiyo, Shirabe or Tea anywhere. It was as if they disappeared into thin air. Nagaharu looked around and tried to sense where they could have gone. He wasn't concentrating on his surroundings though and because of it, he didn't notice that there was something flying behind him until he felt himself being fiercely pushed into the ground. He looked up to see Shirabe who had just tackled him. She wasn't finished with him though so charging up her powers, she attacked him with a serious number of thunderbolts. Nagaharu didn't have a chance to recover seeing that he was tackled again when he was was standing up. This time, the tackle was from Kiyo.

"I got alot of packages to deliver from me, that one was for hurting Shirabe." Kiyo then fired up a glowing sphere from his mouth and shot a direct hit at him.

"That was for making Atem and Tea suffer badly, and this...is for making me angry!" Both of his giant wings glowed and Kiyo charged at Nagaharu again to give another painful attack. When his wings hit him, it made Nagaharu jerk into the air. When he was coming back down, Kiyo and Shirabe both flipped backwards and jerked him higher into the air.

"You got one more package, but it's not from us...it's from them!" Kiyo said. Nagaharu was confused to what he meant, but when he glanced up at the sky, he could see Atem and Tea flying towards him with their weapons aiming at him. They held each other's hand as they started to spin together and change into a swirling flaming tornado. Nagaharu couldn't dodge or run away so there was no chance of him escaping this attack. He howled in pain when the fire collided with him. When the attack was over, he collapsed down on the ground with now strength left in him to get up. It was all over for him.

"How.....how could...I have lost? I had the power....I should have won."

"Power doesn't mean anything if you don't have someone to fight for. You were only fighting for yourself, that is why you lost." Atem and Tea both landed next to Kiyo and Shirabe and the four of them walked over to a now defeated Nagaharu.

"I was close....so close to victory and you all took it away from me. It shouldn't have been this way!" Tea walked over until she was standing over Nagaharu with the orb on her staff changing back to its blue color.

"But it did turn out this way and there's nothing you can say or do to change that, **Crystal Meteor!**" The attack finished off what was left of Nagaharu and he was engulfed into a bright blue light. When the light disappeared, there was nothing left but glowing blue sphere, a glowing green sphere and a swirling ball of energy that was stolen from Tea which immediately floated back to her. The blue sphere floated over as well, but it stopped as if waiting to know who will except it. Atem and Tea raised both of their weapons and the sphere dissolved into little shimmering pieces. The blade on Atem's sword and the orb on Tea's staff changed to a icy blue before it changed back to their original color. They also had an ice charm appearing on their weapons too. The green orb was the last one left, but it was picked up by someone else.

"I knew that fool would lose this battle, it was all thanks it his over-inflated ego." The voice belonged to none other than Jouta as he held the orb in his hand with a blank stare.

"So, you decided to pick up where Nagaharu left off, Jouta? Because if you are, then we'll have no trouble giving you the same treatment." Kiyo said with a growl. Jouta just scoffed and placed the orb in his cloak.

"Unfortunately, I'm not going to fight any of you this time. I'm not cleaning up the mess Nagaharu left behind. When I do face you, my strategy will be much different and I will have the princess in my grasp. So until then, enjoy your victory because it will be you final one." Jouta then opened up a dark portal and transported back to the dark dimensions.

Atem placed his arm around Tea when he saw her shuddering from the way Jouta had glanced at her. She was grateful for his embrace and it was making her feel safe. Turning to Shirabe and Kiyomichi, Atem let out a relieving sigh at what they just accomplished.

"I don't think there's anything else we can do here, let's all go home."

"You took the words right out of my mouth Atem." Kiyo said. So with that said, Shirabe did the honors of creating a portal of light where it will lead them all back to Yugi and the others. The four of them stepped into the portal taking no interest of turning back once.

**Wow.....I didn't think that I would finish this chapter, but I finally did. It took me forever too, let me know what you all think of it in your reviews. In the upcoming chapters, you'll learn more about Gyousei and how he became evil. He will also be meeting the gang very soon. Once again, I'm very sorry to have all of you waiting so long for this update. My schedule has been extremely busy and I haven't had anytime for myself, but I knew you all were waiting for an update so I had to make time to get this chapter done. My next update will be 'Connected Hearts' so be in the lookout for that chapter too, thanks for reading everyone.**


	11. Memories of the Past

**Hey readers, back with the next chapter. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed:**

**Living Legends**

**fantasia-49**

**Celeste5502**

**Ruize**

**dancers of the night**

**soccer-vampire-girl**

**Atem-Tea love 4ever**

**Koragirl**

**Fabiola, bruja de Oz**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or the song "Feels Like Love" by the Cheetah Girls.**

**I want to dedicate this chapter to my best friend, my Lil Sis, Rain On My Heart.**

**Summary: In another world thousands of years ago, there lived mystical creatures who lived peacefully, that was until a dark presence threaten to take over. He almost succeeded until he was stopped by a beautiful princess who saved the creatures from his evil wrath. Now 10,000 years later into the present time, he has come back to finish what he started and also get revenge on the one who stopped him.**

**Chapter 11**

"My Lord Gyousei, I have returned with the energy that Nagaharu has stolen from you. Unfortunately, he was taken down by the princess, the pharaoh and those pathetic cats of theirs." Jouta said letting the glowing, dark orb float out of his hands and back into the fire the Gyousei was still completing his ritual. As it wentinside, the flames burst more powerfully seeing that it was now joined with the rest of the energy and trapped souls that were collected. The dark sorcerer chuckled evilly sensing the growing power.

"Hmm, what a shame that Nagaharu was defeated. I did tell him to capture the princess or not to come back at all, how sad. Even with the little bit of power he stole from me, he still wasn't able to complete that task. For that, he payed dearly...such a shame." he said in a sick, cold voice. Joutabowed in front of Gyousei to show his respect.

"Nagaharu was very foolish my lord....and I would like to make up for the mistakes he has made. I will make sure that the princess is brought to you." Gyousei was silent as he watched the growing fire. He then turned back to Jouta.

"Alright, you may have you chance, but do not fail me Jouta. I am getting deeply tired of all of this failure."

"Do not worry, my lord. You see, Kiyori and Nagaharu made onelittle mistake in fighting the princess. They were too overconfident thinking that she was too weak and judging the level of her powers. It is simple, I won't have the need to fight her. An easy conversation will make her see things our way." Gyousei smirked.

"Interesting, alright Jouta do what you need to do, but do not fail me."

"Do not worry, I will never fail you my lord."

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The rays of the sun were disappearing and the sky was now turning into twilight darkness. The city lights were beginning to glow and everyonewere quietly inside their homes for the night; all but three. Yugi, Tristan and Joey were still waiting in frontof the entrance of the school where Shirabe and Kiyo teleported off to find Atem and Tea. So far, there wasn't any sign of the four of them and they were getting very worried for their friends. Every minute that passed, brings on more worry and concern. They would not leave until they returned safely from wherever Nagaharu transported them to. Just when another inch was about to appear on their growing pile of worry, a flicker of light started to form into midair making the three of them turn to it. The light started to grow bigger until it turned into a portal where they saw Atem, Tea, Kiyo and Shirabe coming out injured, but completely safe. The guys breathed let out the longest sigh of relief happy to see their friends. They came out looking exhausted, but other than that, it was safe to say that the four of them were victorious.

"Guys, you're back!" Yugi said as he, Joey and Tristan ran up to them seeing the portal disappearing without a trace. Kiyowas still transformed and Tea was dressed in her battle gear. What the guys found different about Atemwas that he was also dressed in a different attire. They could tell, especially Yugi, that Atem became much more powerful.

"Nice, where did you get the gear, man?" Joey asked. Atem smiled seeing the faces of his friends and was eased to see that none of them were harmed by Nagaharu when he and Tea were teleported away from them. Looking to his left where his arm was resting over Tea's shoulder, he could see her relief expression. She looked tired and worn out from the fight. He couldn't blame her, the attack they summoned together took alot out of their energy away. He would easily be alright, but with Tea, being new to her powers, was feeling more drained than he was. Atem looked back at the others who were now waiting for him to respond to Joey's question.

"To avoid any late bystanders that might be around, we should all head back. From there, we'll explain everything." So with that said, Shirabe offered Yugito rideon her back while Joey and Tristan rode on Kiyomichi's. Tea's staff glowed as she summoned her saucer while an aura glowed around Atem'sbody making him levitate into the air to fly with the others. It took about ten minutes when they all arrived at Tea's apartment. Atem and Tea changed back into their normal clothing. Kiyo, however, stayed in his larger form which surprised Shirabe a bit since he always changed back when there wasn't anymore signs of danger. But then again, she was still a bit confused from the way he was fighting against Nagaharu before. The way his expressions looked, his emotions and the way he protected her made Shirabe wonder why Kiyo suddenly reacted that way. Shirabe knew that Kiyo became more serious when he transformed, but this was the first time he has ever shown this much determination in a battle, especially when it came down to her protection.

Gathering around in the sitting room, Atem was the first to start explaining everything that happened. Shirabe and Kiyo also joined in when it was their time to speak as well. Tristan, Yugi and Joey were both shocked and angry from hearing everything the four of them had to endure from Nagaharu. It made them wish that they could have helped in defeating him too.

Tea was the only onewho was silent through the discussion. Since they have been home, she didn't speak one single word. Her silence, however, didn't go unnoticed by Atem who was now staring at her from the corner of his eye. It was not hard for him to figure out that she was thinking about the battle and the visit from Anzu. Everything was still swimming within his mind too. There were so many questions that he didn't know which one to ask first, but he knew that the main question he wanted to ask was about Gyousei. It was time that they all learned more about this man. Before he could ask his question first, Shirabe had one of her own and it was directed to him and Tea.

"There is something that has been bothering me. I had felt a presence when Kiyomichi and I came to find you. At first, I had thought the presence belonged to you Tea, but...when we found the two of you, it was clear that it was...from Anzu. Tell me, did she visit you again?" All heads turned to both Atem and Tea. Nothing was said from either of them. Atem's eyes met with Tea's and they wanted to answer, but they did make a promise to Anzu that they would not reveal anything regarding her presence. On the other hand, they wanted so much to know about Gyousei and the only way they were going to find out anything is if they told the truth. Both of Tea's hands were balled up so tightly against her knees.

_'What should I do?'_

**_'It's alright, Tea.' _**Tea gasped at hearing the voice of Anzu in her mind again.

_'Anzu...are you sure?'_

**_'Yes, I don't think Shirabe, Kiyomichi or any of your friends should be kept in the dark about my last meeting with you and the Pharaoh. You should also know more about Gyousei, it is time that you did.' _**Tea smiled and nodded feeling a little bit better.

_'Okay, thank-you Anzu.' _Turning to Atem after her mind conversation with Anzu, Tea gave a silent okay letting him know that it was safe to tell the others. Understanding her look, Atem smiled and turned back to the others.

"Yes, she did and it was the first time that I was able to see her. She explained to us how Tea and I were transported into the dimension Nagaharu sent us and where he would be waiting for us when we fought him."

"Did she mention anything else?" Kiyomichi, in his deep voice, asked. Atemwas silentfor a moment taking another chance to glance at Tea who was still not speaking. What could be going through her mind right now? He wondered. Atemwould worry about that after all was explained and he had a chance to be alone with her.

"She mentioned...Gyousei. Anzu was telling us about him and that he once had a good heart, how they both used to be friends before he turned evil. What she didn't mention to both Tea and I, was how he became evil now. If we are going to stop his terror, we have to figure out everything about Gyousei. So, why don't you start from the beginning? How did Anzu and Gyousei first meet?" Shirabe and Kiyo were caught off guard by the question, but they knew sooner or later it was going to be brought up. Atem was right, if Gyousei was going to be stopped, then they had to tell them everything. Shirabetook this moment to start off with Kiyo to jump in when he thought it was necessary.

"I suppose that we should have told you all more about Gyousei from the start."

"Gee, ya think?" Joey said sarcastically which made Tristan elbow him in the ribs to make him shut up. Kiyo and Shirabe did agree with the way Joey commented so there were no hard feelings. Joey gave them an apologetic gaze and listened with the others to what they both had to say.

"Anzu and Gyousei have been friends once before. Gyouseiwas always kind and considerate to others; there was never a bad bone in his body. We can still remember the day they first met. Shirabe and I were scouting our world making sure all of the creatures were safe. We were just coming back in search of Anzu when it happened."

_Flashback_

_A golden lioness was walking peacefully through a mystical forest looking for the whereabouts of her princess. She was accompanied with her loud-talking flying cat companion who was talking up a storm with her. So really, it wasn't exactly a peaceful walk through the forest. She was listening to him, but some of everything he was saying was going in one ear and out the other. She will never understand how he can talk so much. _

_"Then, after I gave him the ol' 1-2, I gave him a 3, then a 4 and then one of my mean looks. Put him in his place, and then-"_

_"Kiyomichi....you do realize that this thing you are talking about is a leaf, don't you?" Kiyohad a wide-eyed expression and sweat-dropped knowing that Shirabewas right, but he quickly regained himself and kept up his confident stance._

_"Uh, yeah but I showed that leaf who's boss." he said with a cheeky grin and it only made Shirabe roll her eyes wondering how she became friends with Kiyo. She shook her head and smiled. Shirabe noticed that Kiyosuddenly became quiet and looked up to see that he was staring at something. Turning to where he was looking, she noticed that that something was actually a someone. No, two someones; one of them being her Princess Anzu, of course and the other was a strange man that she has never seen before. He was lying on the ground with Anzu trying to help him. Shirabe and Kiyo both went forward to see what was going on. Seeing both of her friends, Anzu sighed in relief and then cast another concerned look down at the stranger._

_"Princess, what happened?" Shirabe asked. _

_"I found him collapsed like this Shirabe, he needs help." Kiyo didn't have to question because all he did was transform so that he could help out his princess._

_"Place him on my back, princess. I will help carry him back and we can figure out what is wrong." Anzu, along with Shirabe's help placed the man on the back of Kiyo and Shirabe offered Anzuto ride on her as they prepared to fly off to their home. It didn't take long from the speed they were going when they finally arrived to an enchanted, mystical castle. To save time, they flew up to Anzu's balcony where her room was located and Kiyo landed next to her bed. Anzu and Shirabe both helped the man onto her bed so that he could rest. Taking her hand, Anzu checked to see if he had a fever and it was clear that his temperature was up very high. _

_"Kiyomichi, Shirabe we need to get his fever down." Without needing her explanation, Kiyo and Shirabe both went off to retrieve the supplies that Anzu needed. Besides being the princess of their world, Anzuwas known as the healer as well. She always knew what to do when it came to anyone who was ill or injured. When they both returned, Anzu went to work and Shirabe and Kiyo both sat quietly as they observed her. Anzu placed a cool, wet cloth on his head and searched to see if there were any injuries on his body. From what she found were cuts and bruises that were really serious. So, with her healing magic, she went to work curing them. She was working for a half hour and her energy was slowly draining, but Anzu would not stop until he was all better. She could see that most of his wounds were disappearing and his fever was slowly going down. All they could do now was wait until he was awakened._

_A few hours wentby and there still wasn't any movement from the stranger. Anzu, however, kept a close watch on him and changed the cloth on his head whenever it was needed. She sent Shirabe and Kiyomichiout so they could rest. She had her back turned for a moment and suddenly, Anzuheard a low groan coming from her patient. Quickly, she went over just in time to see him opening his eyes._

_"Wh..where am I?" he asked. Anzu smiled when he took a glance at her._

_"You are in my castle." _

_"How...did I get here?" _

_"I found you collapsed on the ground and my friends and I flew you back here. You were suffering from a high fever and bearing some injuries, but you should be back to normal in no time." she said. He nodded and his eyes scanned the room where he guessed were her chambers. He then turned back to her and realized how beautiful and how kind she was._

_"Thank-you, for your assistance. Who are you?"_

_"My name is Anzu, I am the princess of this world. And you are?" It took a minute for him to answer since he was still trying to clear the vision of being unconscious for so long, but when he did, he replied to her._

_"I am....Gyousei." _

_"Gyousei...do you remember how you got here? Where do you come from?" Anzu asked. Gyouseiturned his face to the side breaking his stare away from her._

_"I...don't come from anywhere. I am a wanderer, I travel to different worlds. I don't remember much, but before I came here to your world, I was in a treacherous battle and....my energy was getting dangerously low. Luckily, I was able to come out of that battle alive, but the last thing I remember was collapsing near a enchanting pond. I guess that is where you found me....I thank-you again for your help. As soon as I re-cooperate, I will be out of your way princess." Anzu giggled and shook her head._

_"Please, it is alright, I was happy to help you. You may stay as long as you like. Now, it's still too soon for you to be moving around so you need to rest. Is there anything you would like me to bring for you?" she said. Gyousei was stunned at how deeply kind she is. No one showed as much kindness as Anzu has. He shook his head._

_"No...not at the moment." _

_"Okay, I will return soon to check up on you." Anzu took her leave to let Gyousei rest for a while. He watched as she walked out and let out a small, gentle smile as he closed his eyes and went into a peaceful slumber._

_End Flashback_

"So, Anzu found Gyousei injured and that was how they first met." Yugi said getting the story straight. Kiyomichi and Shirabe both nodded.

"Yes, she had came to us after she found out what had happened with him and filled us in about him. Anzu spent most of her time with him as she helped Gyousei get stronger and stronger. She had a special gift when it came to helping people and making friends." Kiyomichi said. Atem turned to Tea after hearing that.

_'That sounds just like Tea, she is always willing to help out her friends.' _He smiled as he kept this thought in his head. Shirabe decided to tell the next part of the story.

"The days passed by and with the help of Anzu's care, Gyouseiwas became much more stronger. They spent their time getting to know each other....it was amazing seeing the princess smiling all the time. Those two were inseparable and Kiyomichi and I were just thrilled watching the both of them. But...one day, the smiles stopped and it was the day that we would never forget. The day where everything changed....forever. Anzu, Kiyomichi and I were together when it happened. The three of us were gathering medical herbs from the garden."

_Flashback_

_Anzu, Shirabe and Kiyo were busy gathering herbs for Anzu'sbatch of medicine that she was planning on making. While she was caring for Gyousei, her supplies had gone low without her realizing it. Her loving companions decided to accompany her in helping out with the task. To help pass the time, Anzu was telling her friends everything about Gyousei; what his interests were, what battle he fought before he was found in their world, when he first started his journey. Anzu learned so much about Gyouseiand it was like every conversation they had together brought on a new interest to her. She never met anyone like him before. _

_"And later, we are going down to the pond to spend the day together. Oh! I also asked him to stay here with us, since he has nowhere to go." Anzu said happily. Kiyo and Shirabe both looked at each other with smiles seeing just how happy their princess was. So, if she thought it was a good idea for Gyousei to stay in their world, then they would welcome him with open arms. _

_"Wonderful princess, what did he say when you suggested it?" Shirabe asked. Her smile start to fade a little, but there was still a hint of it on her face indicating that she wasn't sad or disappointed about anything._

_"Well....he didn't give me an answer yet, but he would consider thinking about it. Oh, I just hope he says yes." They all went back to picking more herbs in a comfortable silence listening and enjoying the nature that surrounded them. Shirabe suddenly heard footsteps and turned seeing Gyousei walking up to them, but something seemed to be wrong and before she could alert Anzu, she already turned and smiled._

_"Gyousei, you're here. We were just talking about you and how you should stay here with us. Oh, it would be wonderful if you agreed to this, you would finally have a special place where you can belong. We are gathering herbs right now, but as soon as we're finished, you and I can make our way to the pond." She said in a happy, excited voice. Gyousei just stood watching her not responding to her at all. Shirabe and Kiyowas wondering why he wouldn't say anything to their princess and noticed that he was acting very strange. It was finally after a few moments that he did decide to speak, but what came out of his mouth was NOT something they were expecting._

_"The only place you will be going...is to your doom." Anzu gasped from hearing the dark, evil voice coming from her friend._

_"Gyousei...what is wrong? Why are you talking like this?" she asked. Gyouseijust smirked having an evil glint in his eyes._

_"Why, my dear Anzu, this is how I always talk. I just finally opened my eyes to my true self, it feels good actually. I can see a whole lot of things much more clearly than before." Anzu just slowly shook her head not believing what she was hearing._

_"No...this isn't you. You're not the sweet, wonderful friend that I have talked to for the past few weeks. Please, Gyousei return to the man you once were." Anzu thought that if she walked closer, she could try to get Gyousei to think about what he was doing, but as soon as she tried, Gyousei formed a dark energy ball in his hand and Shirabe gasped knowing that the attack was going for Anzu._

_"Princess!" She quickly picked up Anzu and flew into the air before the attack could hit her. Kiyo followed behind her witnessing what could have been completely disastrous for his princess. He glared at Gyousei as he quickly changed into his larger form to attack him back. Gyousei started chuckling making the three of them confused as to what he was thinking about._

_"It is useless to escape my power, every inch of this world will be cast into darkness." Anzu was hanging onto Shirabe as her whole body was shaking with fear watching as her friend just suddenly turned into this unknown stranger. This unknown person who has took over the man she befriended. The skies suddenly darkened there were screams heard from the little creatures as Gyousei started glowing a dark, evil aura around his body. He chuckled from hearing the defenseless screams, enjoying as he watched them trying to escape from him. Taking a charged up dark orb, he began to take aim and shoot it to a few of the running creatures. Some lost their lives and others were turned into Shadow Demons. _

_Up from the sky, Anzuwas looking down at the horrible scene that was happening. Seeing her friend acting this way, destroying her home and her loved ones was making her devastated. She couldn't stand by and let this continue to happen, she had to try and get through to Gyousei._

_"Gyousei, please stop this! Fight whatever it is that is controlling you, this isn't who you are! Please, return the kind man that I knew...that kind man that has become my most precious friend!" She desperately tried to reach Gyousei, but it seems that her words were not getting through to him. All he did was laugh evilly while turning his evil gaze to her._

_"It is truly pathetic how you are trying to beg for your life, but your attempts to make me see the way you want me to will not work. My goal is to take over this world and retrieve the power that keeps it in balance." Shirabe and Kiyo both gasped hearing what Gyousei said._

_"He doesn't mean..." Shirabe started._

_"The Orb of Light!" Kiyo finished. Letting out a fierce growl, Kiyo charged at Gyousei in order to stop him, but before he could attack, Gyousei summoned an attack of his own using his speed and knocked Kiyo backwards and he crashed into a tree. Since the attack was so powerful, Kiyo changed back into his smaller form. Shirabe came down to check and see if her friend was alright. Kiyo struggled to stand on his four paws and looked back to where Gyousei was standing, watching them._

_"Shirabe, he's too strong. It'll be a miracle if we can beat him." Anzu picked up Kiyo and started healing him with her powers. She made sure that he was 100% cured before she stood up and faced Gyousei. Not with a sad, distraught look, but a look of determination of doing anything she possibly can to get her friend back to the way he was; the way she met him as...even if it means that she has to take him down. She raised her arm up and magically, her staff appeared in her hands._

_"Shirabe, Kiyomichi...as much as I hate to say this, we have no choice but to fight him." _

_"Princess, are you sure this is what you want? You don't have to fight Gyousei, Kiyomichi and I will stop him."_

_"No! Too many lives were already taken...I need to be apart of this battle, but I would like for you both to fight by my side." Kiyo flew next to Anzu on her left and Shirabe to her place on the right both giving their princess affirmative nods. No words were needed to be said as the three of them prepared to fight Gyousei. Before the first attack could be brought out, the grounds shook and disaster struck again. When Anzu looked up, she noticed a shimmering sphere in Gyousei's hands. He had somehow obtained the Orb of Light. _

_Shirabe gave out a lightning attack causing Gyousei to lose his grip on the orb since he was not paying attention. He quickly flew into the dark sky and waited for the three of them to follow him. Anzu flew up when her white aura surrounded her body with Shirabe and Kiyoby her side. It was silence, nothing but a glaring match. Anzu was the one who broke the silence._

_"Gyousei, please for the last time...don't do this." Gyousei smirked._

_"You and your pathetic attempts at trying to reason with me, you are wasting your time. It's making you very naive." Shirabe and Kiyo both growled hearing the awful things Gyousei was saying about their princess._

_"That is an insult, you'll pay!" Kiyo said as he used his powers to shoot out an attack at Gyousei. It stunned him for the moment, but he was able to recover. Shirabe took her turn and shot out more lightning which froze him the spot giving Anzu a chance to attack. She let out a few energy spheres, but even though it was doing some good in slowing down Gyousei, it was breaking her heart that she has to attack a friend. But it needs to be done. Recovering from the blasts, Gyouseireturned a series of attacks at them causing the three to crash into the ground. The battle then continued for a long time, it was like as every moment passed, Gyousei's attacks were getting stronger. Anzu, Shirabe and Kiyo were all breathing heavily feeling weakened from their use of energy. Darkness was continuing to flood the world with no signs of stopping. There was only one thing left to do...and it was something Anzu was hoping did not have to come to. She casted one final look to Shirabe and Kiyo._

_"You both were very courageous in this fight, risking your lives to save our world and to protect me. But...it's time that I fight alone." Kiyo and Shirabe were both shocked._

_"What do you mean "fight alone"? Princess...you cannot possibly-"_

_"I do, Shirabe." Kiyoflew forward until he was floating in front of Anzu._

_"Princess...you can't. It's too dangerous for you, you could...you could be killed." Anzu smiled and brought Kiyo into an embrace. She started petting his fur the way she used to when he was feeling down or angry about something. It was a way to bring comfort to him. She also turned to Shirabe to give her the same comfort. Letting Kiyo go and watching him float next to her lioness friend, Anzu casted a shield over them to protect them and to make sure they didn't follow her._

_"Please understand...that this is the only way." With that, she floated off and confronted Gyousei who was about to make another attack. The orb was still within his grasp and Anzu was determined to get it back. Gyousei smirked seeing that Anzuwas all alone._

_"Where are your little pets, Anzu? Aren't they going to help you stop me?" he said in a taunting voice. Anzujust glared, but on the inside, she was feeling so heartbroken. This was not how she wanted things to be, but what other choice did she have? Her friend was gone from her and she didn't even know what caused him to react this way. She knew what she had to do; the only solution in stopping Gyousei before her world and all of her friends that she cared about were completely destroyed. _

_"No, I decided that my **friends **needed to be protected from your reign of terror. It breaks my heart that I have to do this to you Gyousei...I don't know what happened to you, to make you become this way." Anzuwas beginning to show tears in her eyes. "You are not the same person I met and took care of, you're not the same man I had became close with, you are not the man...who has became an important part of my heart. Gyousei...if you can hear me, please forgive me for what I have to do. Hopefully....you and I will meet again." Anzu's body glowed a white, spiritual aura and she was summoning every source of power that was in her body. The energy formed into her staff which was turning into a large ball of light. Casting one last look at her companions, Anzu smiled before launching the energy at Gyousei. He in turn created a large ball of dark energy to attack Anzuwith, but because of her determination and the love she held inside her, Anzu's energy was able to destroy Gyousei's and also take him out. There was nothing but a strong, bright light and a scream of agony. _

_Shirabe and Kiyo both had to shield their eyes from the brightness, but when it was starting to dim, their eyes opened to see that the Orb of Light was floating in midair going back into its rightful place where it belonged. The remaining Shadow Demons changed back into the mystical creatures, the darkness from the sky and the waters were disappearing the the earth was reforming to it's original state. Everything was returning to normal...everything, except for the princess. _

_When the shield disappeared, Kiyo and Shirabe flew to where Anzu was still floating. She was still glowing, but she was slowly fading away. The shock that their princess was leaving was making them become speechless. It was such a devastating feeling that they have never felt before. Anzu wasn't feeling any sorrow or despair, she just smiled looking so angelic._

_"Do not feel sad, my friends. It was something that I had to do, to protect this world and you as well." Kiyo was rubbing his eyes with his paw feeling the strong urge to cry._

_"How can we not feel sad, Princess? You sacrificed your life to save us...we were suppose to be protecting YOU." _

_"I know and you both have donea wonderful job protecting me. I don't want you to feel guilty, it was my choice to do this. All I ask...is for you both to protect each other and our world. We will meet again, I have a strong feeling that we will." Shirabe was silently crying._

_"We will meet again, Princess. Your sacrifice will not be in vain, you will be forever in our hearts." Anzu smiled and she disappeared leaving sparkling lights in her place which were also disappearing. Kiyo landed on Shirabe's head losing the will to fly as they and all of the creatures grieved over the loss of their valia__nt princess._

_End Flashback_

"And that's what happened...after Anzu was gone, we all performed a special memorial in honor of her." Shirabesaid with a distant, sorrow stare. Kiyomichi was carrying the same expression as the lioness, both remembering the day their princess was taken.

"It was a few years later, that Shirabe and I heard rumors of a terrible dark presence lurking around in another dimension so we both scouted out to find it. What we didn't expect, was that it was Gyousei; alive and well and he didn't even _looked_ as if he suffered from any injuries. When we saw him, he just disappeared through a portal to another world. But before he left, his voice echoed through the sky..."_I won't rest until I find you, Anzu and when I do, I will finally have my revenge." _Once we heard that, we knew that our princess was alive, and if not, then she was already re-incarnated. So, we traveled through dimension after dimension, century after century and we finally found her. When we came to your world, we didn't know where to start our search first. There were so many people and it was hard tracking down that pure energy, especially when it hasn't been used in a long time. Until Tea was finally found and you all know everything else from there." Kiyomichifinished. The whole room was silent as the information was still processing. But there was one question that was not asked and it was Yugi that was one to ask it.

"Shirabe, Kiyo....how long have you two been in our world?" he asked.

"We have been here for three years. The presence from this world was the same one Kiyomichi and I have been searching for...and when we were trying to find Tea, it seems as if her energy would disappear the minute we would get a flicker of it." Shirabe replied.

"So, you guys have been here since the time of the Battle City Tournament." Tristan said.

"Then, if that's true, how is it that I couldn't sense the two of you?" Atem asked.

"It was because we were trying to keep ourselves hidden from other humans, making sure our energy readings weren't detected. When we came to this world, Shirabeand I could sense other dark forces. We even witnessed a few of those 'duels', as you call them, and noticed that some of those people weren't exactly in control of their actions."

"Yeah, but we took care of the guy responsible for that." Joey said. Tristan had a question also.

"So, now I guess we're all caught up with what happened before, but the only thing I can't understand is...why did Gyousei suddenly turn on you guys?"

"That...is something we were never able to figure out. We have been searching for that answer for centuries now and we haven't found one clue as to what caused Gyousei's sudden change. It's our number one mystery that we have been trying to solve."

"Well, with all of us together, I'm sure we'll be able to find out." Yugisaid. The room was now silent; everyone was thinking about what was now told. The only one who didn't ask anything was Tea, who was now sitting so stiff. She couldn't believe that Kiyomichi and Shirabe have been here, in Domino City, for three long years....searching for _her._..no, the spirit of Anzu; Anzu's reincarnation. It was too much to take for one day, Tea needed some time to breath and think everything through. She stood up to leave for her room without saying anything to the others.

"Tea..." She stopped upon hearing Atem'svoice. Turning around, she saw everyonestaring at her in confusion, worry, and wonder on what was going on with her. Even though they knew what Tea must be feeling at the moment, they wanted to hear it from her; hear what she would say, what she thought. Tea, however, did the opposite. Instead of telling everyone what she was feeling, she kept it to herself and masked a fake smile on her face.

"Guys...if it's not too much trouble, I just...want to be alone right now. It's been a long day and I'm really tired so...you guys...well, you know the way out when you're ready to leave." Tea hurried off into her room feeling the sign of moisture starting to develop in her eyes.

"Tea, wait..." Yugi said telling her to come back, but Atem shook his head at him.

"No...let her go, she needs time to herself now."

"I guess that's all we can do, we all need to head home anyway." Joey said. The guys got ready to leave Tea's apartment and Yugi noticed that Atem still stood in his spot looking into the direction of Tea's room. Even though they weren't sharing a body anymore, Yugi could always tell what Atem was thinking and what he was feeling. He knew that Atemwas reluctant to leave Tea.

"You want to stay with her?" Atem turned to Yugi and nodded.

"I do...just to make sure she's alright."

"Alright, I'll let Grandpa know so that he doesn't get worried." When Yugi, Joey and Tristan all said goodnight, the three of them walked to their own destination. Kiyo and Shirabe told Atem that they were going to scout the area to make sure that there wasn't anything suspicious lurking around. Atemwas now alone, with Tea in the other room. It was what he wanted right now. He wanted to talk with her alone.

As he walked to her bedroom door, Atemturned the handle and slowly opened it to see Tea laying on her bed facing the window. Upon coming insideher room, he noticed that her face was buried into the pillow and he could hear faint sounds muffled sniffles. Atem shut the door and went over to sit down on her bed. He didn't make his appearance known to her yet. He just sat and watched her, how much all of this was affecting her. But was it the _only _reason as to why she was like this? Atem was going to find out now.

"Tea..." Atem called her name to let her know that he's there with her. That and he placed his hand along her back to rub her in comfort. Tea didn't respond to either of them, she just laid there completely still with her head in the pillow, but she did speak through it.

"I said I want to be left alone..." she said.

"Now do you really think I would leave you alone when you're upset like this? You know I can't do that."

"I'm not upset...I'm fine." Tea moved to rise up from the bed, all the while keeping her face hidden from him. Atemfollowed her movements and walked over to stand in front of her. He took his hand and gently turned her head so that their eyes could meet. Once he saw those blue eyes he fell so deeply in love with, his heart was clenched from seeing how sad and dull they were. So much emotion was in the depths of these blue orbs, she was holding something back.

"Talk to me, Tea...what's on your mind." Tea sighed and it was like her body was moving on its own because before she knew it, she was leaning into Atem's chest; seeking warmth from her pharaoh and was satisfied when she felt his strong arms wrap around her.

"So much...and it's making my head hurt." Atem stayed quiet sensing that there was more that Tea wanted to say, more that she wanted to get off her chest. He was going to find out what she was feeling. "For three years, Shirabe and Kiyo have been searching for me...and I didn't even know it. At the time when we were helping you with your quest to save the world, I didn't know I had my _own _quest to worry about. I guess it goes to show just how weak I am, I couldn't even save you in time from being dropped by Nagaharu." Atem's eyes widened from what he just heard. Tea was calling herself weak? She had this same thought in her head after the first battle with Kiyori. No, this was something Atem was NOT going to tolerate. Keeping her close to him, Atem leaned down to whisper in Tea's ear.

"Listen to me...I am not going to stand by and let you put yourself down like this. You have a strong spirit and a strong will, you have shown that throughout each battle we faced in. And...what happened in the dimension with Nagaharu, it wasn't your fault. I told you to go and help Shirabe and Kiyofrom the shield because I didn't want Nagaharu to harm you, I would have been willing to do anything if it meant your safety. My whole purpose is to protect you, Tea." Tea sighed and pulled away a little from Atem's chest.

"And that's the reason why I feel so weak at times, you and the others are fighting to keep me safe from Gyousei. I am able to fight now, so if I lose someone, especially you, trying to protect me...I wouldn't be able to handle it." Atem just tilted Tea's chin up and brought her close so that their lips touched. With this one kiss, Atemwas working on trying to remove any worries Tea had clouded in her head. She seemed a little content as she leaned slowly into the kiss. The kiss ended, but their lips still touched. Their eyes were lidded, staring at each other with such passion. Atemgave Tea a smile that was only meant for her.

"As long as we believe and have faith in each other, nothing will defeat us. So don't worry, this battle isn't just yours...it's for ALL of us to fight and for ALL of us to win." Tea was still a little uncertain, but hearing Atem's words made her feel so much better. This was why she loved him...he always knew just what to say to make her smile.

Atemdecided to walk over to her window and gaze out into the night sky. It was peaceful and calm out tonight, the perfect night to take your special someone out and enjoy the quiet, soothing air. He turned back to look at Tea who was now looking a bit curious as to what he was thinking.

"Would you like to go out for a little while? Maybe some air will make you feel better and...it would make up for our ruined time aloneat the festival before." Tea smiled and nodded. She did want to go out with Atem, their time alone together at the festival was ruined by Nagaharu showing up. So she figured that this time it would be more special.

"I would love to." Atem opened the window wide and making Tea curious again and a little confused. "What are you doing?" she asked. All Atem did was smile and levitate to fly out her window. When Tea came closer to look out at him, he extended his hand out for her to take.

"I thought we could fly a little...a way to enjoy the night and at the same time, practice our powers." Agreeing with his suggestion, Tea used her powers to summon her flying saucer, but Atem stopped her before she could. "No, not that way."

"But...I can't-" She was cut off by Atem's finger touching her lips.

"Believe...and you can." Tea was still a bit uncertain. She was stiilin the learning process of trying to controlher saucer whenever she summoned it. Yes, she had total control of it in battles, but there were times when Tea would feel like it would disappear from beneath her and she would fall from the sky. That was what she was afraid of, but seeing the look of reassurance in Atem's eyes gave her the confidence she needed. So, closing her eyes, Tea took a deep breath and concentrated on her powers. She was so deep in concentration that she didn't feel her feet leaving the floor. Her hands were held by Atem and as soon as she floated up to him, they both floated out into the night sky.

"Open your eyes." Atem said. Tea slowly opened them and she was now floating in the air with Atem. He let go of her hands so that she could get the feeling of flying all on her own. Tea couldn't believe how high up she was and there was no saucer to stand on.

"Wow, I'm flying..."

"Yes, you are." Atem said smiling to her. Tea giggled and started flying circles around Atem getting the feeling of her new way of flying.

"This is amazin-AAH!" Tea circled a little too fast and started to fall, but Atem flew down and caught her in time. He held her bridal style and waited until Tea was over her little shock. To him, he thought she looked cute and had to laugh a little from what happened. Tea glared...but did find humor in the situation and she had to laugh along with Atem.

"I guess I need a little more practice." She came out of Atem'sarms and levitated again beside Atem, this time, they kept their hands held together.

"Don't worry, I'll help you." Tea blushed and was happy that it was dark where Atem wouldn't be able to tell, but unknown to her, he was able to see it clear as day. But why make her more redder than she already was by letting her know? They started to fly off, to what destination they thought? It would just be anywhere their hearts would lead them.

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After an hour of scouting the city, Kiyo and Shirabe both rested on a tall building high up where they were unseen by anyone around. They weren't able to detect anymore suspicious energies that were connected to Gyouseiso it was safe at the moment. Kiyo, still in his larger form, started to stretch like a lazy cat waking up from his nap and Shirabe looked down at the city as if she was expecting some kind of danger to pop up any second.

"Oh man, what a day, huh? I just want to kick back, relax and eat a whole bunch of creme puffs." Shirabe sighed and shook her head.

"How can you think about eating at a time like this? We are not out of the woods yet, Kiyomichi. Our mission is still not complete." Kiyo stopped stretching and looked at Shirabe a tired, bored expression.

"Come on Shirabe, you act as if there's a battle going on right now. Just take some time to enjoy the scenery, would you?" Shirabe just kept staring at the city.

"We did not come here to "enjoy the scenery" as you put it, we came here to protect Tea from Gyousei and make sure that he is stopped before anything happens. We cannot let this world become corrupted the way our world was before, Kiyomichi."

"Yes, I know that, but it's not like we can't have a little bit of fun too. Why are you always so serious?"

"Because we are dealing with a serious situation."

"Yeah, but not _all _the time, sometimes when were not even fighting, you look like this." Shirabe looked at Kiyo from the corner of her eye as she started feeling a little annoyed from this sudden topic.

"Is there a point you're trying to make?"

"My _point_ is, you need to learn how to relax once in a while. Tell me something, how come you always call me Kiyomichi?" Shirabe looked at him like he had grew eight heads.

"Because that is your name...or is that _really_ your name?" Kiyo just laughed and shook his head.

"No, Kiyomichi is my name, but you never called me Kiyo for short. Ever since we met, you have always called me by my whole name." Shirabe didn't know how to answer that. It was true, Shirabe never once in her life ever called him Kiyo. It made her wonder why. She never gave it much thought to it before, but now that it's brought up, it made her think. Why didn't she call him Kiyo? Kiyo saw the way she had a far away look in her eyes and knew that she was thinking about his question. He wasn't expecting her to answer it, it was just something to ask.

"You know...the day we first met, I had a little crush on you." Shirabe gasped and turned back to Kiyo.

"W-what?" she whispered. Kiyo gave a nervous chuckle and blushed.

"Yeah...you were just so majestic and beautiful. As I saw you drinking from the pond, I thought my heart would burst through my chest. When you accepted me as your friend, it was one of the greatest moments of my life. At first I thought you wouldn't, I mean why do you think I always acted so silly around you?"

"Because it was in your nature?" Shirabe asked sarcastically.

"Ha ha, very funny. No...I just wanted to make you laugh, wanted to see you smile." Shirabe smiled and if you looked closely enough, you could see a tiny blush forming on her face.

"Well, I have to admit, you did make me smile even when you weren't looking. You're acting so strangely, Ki...Kiyo." Kiyo's eyes widened and smiled, but he kept quiet as he waited for Shirabe to finish what she had to say. "When we were in the dimension, I saw the way you were fighting so valiantly with so much determination. It was a side of you that I have never seen before."

"I wanted to protect you Shirabe, I couldn't just stand by and watch you get hurt. You don't know how much you mean to me."

"I may not show it at times...but you are important to me too." Kiyo was so happy to have heard this that he felt as if he wanted to fly into the sky and spin around in circles, but he just settled with sitting next to Shirabe in a comfortable silence. In the distance, he could hear some kind of music playing and was curious as to what it was. Looking back at his lioness friend, he came up with an idea.

"Why don't we explore the city for a bit?" Shirabe wasn't too sure about it.

"I don't know...."

"Come on, it would be a great time to have fun and relax....please?" Kiyo gave a little pout and Shirabe giggled upon seeing his face. So after she nodded and agreed, they prepared to take flight into the night.

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Atem and Tea have been flying around for a half hour now just going where ever they felt the wind took them. Tea was now in total control in her new way of flying and she had Atem to thank for it all. When Tea flew on her saucer, it was still a great experience to be up in the air, but flying without it made her feel so free. Like she was as free as a feather flying in the wind. She and Atem decided to take a small rest on a hill under a sakura tree where they could see almost everything from where they were sitting.

"Oh wow, that was incredible." Tea said feeling so happy. Atem chuckled.

"Yes it was, such an enjoyment."

"Definitely...thank-you for helping me reach this level in flying, I feel like I owe so much." Atem moved closer so that his arm was draped over Tea's shoulder. Her head was in the crook of his neck where she could smell his wonderful cinnamon scent. It was such a glorious scent.

"The only thing you can do for me, Tea is just be happy. That's all I want." And she was happy, just sitting here with the man of her dreams was the best feeling in the world. There wasn't anything that could ruin this moment. It was then suddenly that Atem and Tea both heard something from the distance. Looking down from the hill they were sitting on, they noticed a small attraction down below. From what they could see, there was a little show happening for anyone who was out tonight taking a stroll.

"I wonder what's going on." Tea said. Atem just held her closer wondering the same thing.

"Not sure, but we have a good view of it. Looks like something interesting is happening." They both waited to see what the attraction was all about. There was a stage with three girls and three guys walking to the front of their microphones and a crowd gathering around curious as to what they will be performing. The girl in the middle began to speak first.

"Hello everyone, my friends and I will be singing for you tonight. This song goes out to everyone...who has found has fallen in love with that special someone." She gave the que to start and music started playing through the speakers behind them. It was then that they started singing.

_Feels like love  
Feels like love  
Hey yeah, yeah, yeah_

_You got me spinnin' now  
I feel your happiness all around  
I'm not sure what I'm getting into  
Feels like love_

_We're not the same, everybody knows  
That's the best thing about us though  
So hard to believe it, but it's true  
Feels like love_

_We see the world in different ways  
But I'm loving every minute of everyday  
Against the odds, we'll make it through_

_Maybe this could be  
More than just fun  
This could be everything that I want  
__What's happening to me?  
Could you be the one?  
This could be everything that I want  
__I didn't know how good it could be  
And it feels like love to me_

_Feels like love  
Feels like love  
Hey yeah, yeah, yeah_

From up on top of the same tree that Atem and Tea were sitting under, Kiyo and Shirabe were both watching the performance as well. Kiyo looked to Shirabe and smiled as his tail started moving to twist around with hers. Shirabe felt it and stared at Kiyo too with her own smile. No words were needed to be spoken between them...because they both could tell what the other was thinking.

_I didn't know I could feel this way  
It's a new world, maybe that's okay  
You're like a part of me I never knew  
Feels like love_

_You're the one I need next to me  
But I know that it's hard to be  
Living for everybody else but you  
Feel like love_

_Real love's not suppose to be  
Afraid of what everybody thinks  
So let's show 'em all what we can do_

_Maybe this could be  
More than just fun  
This could be everything that I want  
What's happening to me?  
Could you be the one?  
This could be everything that I want  
I didn't know how good it could be  
And it feels like love to me_

On the stage, one of the guys and one of the girls came together to sing the bridge while the people in the audience held onto their soul mate, including Atem and Tea who were holding each other much more closely.

Guy  
_I've got to say it now_

Girl  
_Seems to hard to do this_

Guy  
_We're gonna work it out_

Girl  
_Nothing about us makes sense_

Guy  
_I'll build a bridge from where I am  
To where you are_

Both  
_It shouldn't have to be this hard_

_Oh, ohhhh, ohh_

_Maybe this could be (Yeaaaahhh, yeah, yeah, yeah-ahh)  
More than just fun (Yeah, yeah, yeah)  
This could be everything that I want(Everything that I want)  
What's happening to me?  
Could you be the one? (The one-ne-ne)  
This could be everything that I want (Oh yeah, yeah, yeah)  
I didn't know how good it could be (Noo, no-ohhh)  
And it feels like love to me (Like love to me)_

Turning her face to his, Atem slowly brought his lips down so that they met with Tea's, kissing her so passionately and feeling the words and the rhythm of the song flowing through their bodies. In the tree, Shirabe moved closer to Kiyo and gave licked his cheek making him blush and dazed for a moment. She nuzzled into him as they heard the final notes of the song.

_Feels like love  
Feels like love  
It feels like love to me  
Feels like love (Like love, love)  
Feels like love (Feels like love)  
It feels like love to me (Feels like love to me)_

The audience applauded for the terrific performance by these six talent people. Taking their bows, they exited the stage and prepare for another number for anyone who was left behind. Atem and Tea stayed under the tree for a little bit longer feeling so content on just holding each other like this. If they wanted, they could just fall asleep right now under the beautiful night sky.

"I love you..." Atem whispered feeling his eyes begin to become heavy and before he drifted to sleep, he smiled hearing his love reply back.

"I love you too..." Tea whispered back as she joined her pharaoh into a peaceful slumber.

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Unknown to them, they were being watched from another tree a little ways from where they were now. The cloaked figure perched in the tree dropped his hood and Jouta was revealed bearing an emotionless expression that was so cold and so evil that it would bring shivers to anyone that glanced at him.

"Enjoy your time with the princess while you can, Pharaoh...for it will be your final moments with her before my lord takes her from you." With that, Jouta disappeared through a portal without a trace of his presence.

**Another chapter done, it was much longer than what I expected it to be, but I do hope you all enjoyed it. Please let me know your thoughts on it in your reviews and I will update again very soon. **


	12. Tea's Decision

**Has it really been that long since I have updated this story? I'm so sorry, everyone. I really don't blame you all if you are angry with me, trust me I'm seriously angry with myself. Anyway, thank you everyone for the reviews, here is the next chapter:**

**LivingLegends  
shadow-fox313  
Tears Of Us All  
King Severian  
takerschick  
fantasia-49  
Koragirl  
dancers of the night  
Atem-Tea love 4ever  
darkmagiciangirl13  
Atem's Sister Atea  
Divinitas**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! **

**Summary: In a world thousands of years ago, there lived mystical creatures who lived peacefully, that was until a dark presence threaten to take over. He almost succeeded until he was stopped by a beautiful princess who saved the creatures from his evil wrath. Now 10,000 years later into the present time, he has come back to finish what he started and also get revenge on the one who stopped him.**

**Chapter 12**

_Darkness...once again; here she stood on top of a tall skyscraper gazing over all of Domino City. There was no ounce of light shining anywhere; not in the streets or any of the buildings. The only source of light that existed was the glowing sphere of the moon floating in the night sky, but even with the moon, it still didn't give off enough light to shine over this dark city. It was windy...extremely windy, but she still stayed in her spot and it felt as if she was waiting for something...or someone. _

_The wind howled like the sound of wolves, her hair blew against her face and yet she didn't bother to pull it back. Her blue cloak was blowing behind her like a curtain in the breeze. Her staff...was held firmly in her hand, waiting to use in case there was a sign of any attack. There was something strange being here like this, but she couldn't understand why. She doesn't even know what her purpose was for being here in the first place. _

_Footsteps could be heard from behind, but she continued to face forward. This presence was not a friendly one, she knew that, which made her grip on the staff even tighter. Once the person stopped walking, she turned around facing yet another figure in black. You could barely see his form, it was as if he was camouflaged in the darkness. "So...have you decided?" he asked._

_"I have..." she felt herself say, but what was she deciding too? Before she had time to even wonder, her thoughts were interrupted by a sinister chuckle._

_"And what is your decision? Although, I think I already know." She took a deep, slow breath...knowing that what she will say next will change everything. There were risks, but she was willing to take them. So her answer was...._

"Miss? Miss?"

Tea was completely brought out of her thoughts when she heard a voice calling to her. She was currently standing in front of the cashier purchasing her items and without realizing it, she went into a deep thought about the recent dream she had. The clerk gave Tea a bit of a worried expression since she has yet to accept the change that she was offering back to her. Placing on a smile to cover up what was bothering her, Tea kindly accepted her change and muttered a thank-you to the clerk.

Coming out of the store, Tea started to shiver from the brisk, cold air. A month has passed since the defeat of Nagaharu and things have been very quiet. The fall season was changing as well, the leaves have fallen from the trees leaving them bare for when the snow covered their branches. It was still a little too early, but signs were showing that snow would appear very soon. It was the time of the season that Tea cherished the most. She always took in the beauty of the fall and winter season. Most people love the sunny weather and Tea couldn't argue with that, but being surrounded by falling leaves or sparkling snowflakes made her feel like she was dancing along with them.

Tea was on her way to the Game Shop for a little relaxing, laid back time with the gang. It was Joey's idea actually and everyone didn't protest it one second since it was exactly what they all needed, especially Tea. She had been training very hard after the last battle. One reason for which to strengthen her powers and the other reason was because she didn't want what almost happened to Atem happen again to him or anyone else. It was a silent vow she made to herself, which was where the intense training came in. She worked herself night and day until she couldn't push anymore or when Atem stepped in and forced her to stop. Indeed it was taking a toll on her, yes, but it also meant that she would be strong enough when danger comes again.

Speaking of Atem, since the night on the hill, her relationship with him became much stronger. It was as if they could tell what the other is thinking and feeling; and it wasn't just because of her new powers that gave her the ability...Tea felt, that all along, she could _always _feel a connection between Atem and herself. Even when it wasn't known in the beginning. It was the best thing she ever felt, but it was also frightening. Frightening because with Gyousei still tracking her down, it meant danger for him as well.

And this is where it brought her back to the recent dream she had. For the past few nights, Tea has been having the same dream and she knew that it meant trouble ahead. She didn't speak of her dream to the others, hoping that it was just her subconscious mind and that it would suddenly pass...but it didn't. The dream always turned out the same; the city of darkness, the howling wind, the cloaked figure and a decision that she made, but always waking up before she gave an answer. This dream meant something, but the question was, what _exactly _did it mean?

It was decided that Tea would worry about the dream when the time was right. Turning the corner, she saw the park up ahead and took the shortcut to the Game Shop. It was the same park that she dreamt about and where she had her first encounter with Jouta. Usually around this time, there would be a lot of outdoor activity going on. The children would be playing, the birds would be chirping, and sometimes, Tea would find a guitarist just playing songs while sitting under a random tree.

This time...she didn't.

The entire park was deserted; not a single, solitary soul could be found anywhere...which was quite bizarre seeing that this park is the most popular and the most enjoyable place in the city of Domino. Suddenly, the wind began to pick up and blow very strongly, causing her to grip her bags tightly with one hand and keep her jacket closed with the other. Winds blew in the autumn time, but this was the strongest ever. Tea knew that it wasn't just the weather that was doing this...there was another cause for it, she could feel it...sense it even, like something was breathing down her neck.

"Lovely day today, isn't it, princess?" Tea quickly turned to where the voice was heard and saw none other than Jouta standing behind her. She immediately put her guard up and started to charge up one of her energy orbs, but Jouta raised his hand, gesturing her to stop. "No need for violence, princess...I have not come here to fight."

This only made Tea increase her powers even more while glaring at the wind demon in front of her. "_Really_? And what makes you think I believe you? Ever since you and your creeps have been here, that's all you have been doing. Fighting against me and my friends; trying your hardest to capture me for my powers."

"I believe you are referring to those brainless, incompetent fools that I was forced to put up with. Their egos and stupidity is what cost them their demise. You were just lucky enough to have defeated them. I, on the other hand, gave you an offer of surrendering peacefully and you refused to take it. I had no other choice, but to attack."

"So, what now? Are you here to make another "offer"? Because if you are, then just save your breath."

Jouta just sighed and shook his head. "No, no more offers, princess. I just came to have a civilized conversation with you. Surely, we can do that, can we not?"

"Depends on how civilized it will be..." Tea refused to let down her guard and now the orb in her hand was growing more stronger; ready to attack if Jouta decided to make the wrong move. However, he wasn't intimidated in the least. All he did was raise both of his hands to prove that he was not going to be a threat in any way possible.

"No fighting, just a simple little talk." Tea didn't believe Jouta for one single second, but she had to wonder what it was that he came here to talk to her about. Reluctantly, she called off her attack, but also taking extra precautions to whatever he might have up his sleeve.

It was complete silence for a while, Tea was waiting for Jouta to speak. Instead of starting the conversation, he just walked around a bit to stare around the park. She felt the need to protect herself, the night of when she had her first encounter with him came flooding back to her head. She couldn't trust him, and when the sound of chuckling interrupted her thoughts, she went into an attack stance.

"Your powers seem to be getting stronger everyday. After witnessing your battle against Nagaharu last, it shows that you control them well. I didn't expect such force this soon...but then, it's a good thing. The stronger you are, the stronger Lord Gyousei will be when he absorbs your energy and rule this world."

Tea had the urge to charge up her powers again and take down this wind demon. "You seem so confident that I'm just going to surrender myself over to you without a fight. That I'm just going to let my powers be drained away for your twisted evil."

Jouta just gave a cocky smirk. "Well, technically it's for Lord Gyousei's revenge against you. Your powers are just the key he needs to finally succeed in his plan for world domination. The fighting is just a waste of energy, don't you agree? Kiyori and Nagaharu did not quite understand it, which is why they were destroyed. They were never considered being the smartest anyway." He turned to face Tea, completely unfazed by the cold glare that she was giving to him. "Such beauty, with such tremendous power...no wonder Lord Gyousei wants you." As he was talking, he began to walk closer to Tea, but she just backed away.

"Stay away from me...I'm warning you. If you don't want to get attacked, then I suggest you tell me what you want!"

"As I have said, I am here to have a conversation with you, princess-"

"Stop calling me that, my name is Tea! Not princess and not Anzu, you got that?!" She was getting tired of him and everyone else from that dark dimension calling her something that she wasn't. Sure, she was the reincarnation of Princess Anzu and she harbored these powers, but that did not mean they were the same. Anzu even said that herself, she wanted Tea to be her **own **person and not see herself as just a ten-thousand year old princess.

"Of course, Tea...but you must know that you're not just an ordinary human. You do possess the spirit of Princess Anzu, no matter what your identity may be now." Tea didn't want to hear his voice anymore, so she pretended not to listen to his words. Jouta, however, just kept talking. "You possess her powers, her abilities, her visions...you ARE Princess Anzu."

"NO!"

"And it just makes me wonder...will your friends be safe around you with this power you have?" This caught Tea's attention. Just what exactly did Jouta mean when he said that? As if reading her thoughts, he continued. "I notice that your friends fight along side you time and time again."

"It's not just me, we are ALL there for each other, and are willing to fight for one another whenever we need it."

"Even if it means them having to lose their lives?" he replied. Tea gasped...she never thought of that. Since she has possessed these powers, her friends have been doing everything they could to protect her. Jouta continued without even giving her a chance to reply. "Why don't we take a trip down memory lane? Back to where your battle with Nagaharu took place. The pharaoh was fighting his hardest to keep you safe, his energy was nearly gone. He didn't even have the strength to stand, but he was willing to do everything he could to protect you...even if it cost him his life. What if he didn't discover his new powers? The fall would have meant his death and there would have been nothing you could have done to bring him back."

What Tea was hearing was everything that she was fearing before. If Atem never found a way to stop his fall, she would have lost him forever. She would have lost the one man that she has ever loved. When she watched Nagaharu drop Atem into the thick fog, she felt herself go along with him. It was like her whole world was destroyed. "He...would be gone now. I wouldn't have been able to save him." she muttered to herself. It was then that she felt Jouta's hand on her shoulder. She glanced up at his emotionless stare, feeling so much evil radiating from him.

"Why waste pointless energy trying to stop my lord...when you can easily save your world and everyone in it by surrendering yourself to him? I can make sure that you never lose your pharaoh or any of your friends, but you need to be willing to cooperate. You do care about your friends, don't you?"

"I do..." Tea whispered.

"Then you know what you must do." Jouta turned around to walk ahead, keeping his back turned to Tea. Without looking back, he said one more thing before he left. "Meet me tonight on the city tower when you have made your decision. I will be waiting for your arrival." With that, Jouta disappeared into a dark cloud of demonic smoke leaving no trace of him at all. Just like magic, the park was filled with civilians who had no idea of what happened here.

Tea stood there thinking about everything that has been said. She didn't know what to do, but she must decide before tonight. For the safety of her friends, she must make the right decision. _'What should I do? I don't want this world taken over by Gyousei...but I don't want my friends or anyone else to get hurt because of me. I almost lost Atem because of it...'_ She turned to walk out of the park to continue her way. She didn't notice that she was being watched by Jouta, who was standing on a branch in the tallest tree.

"My plan is working perfectly, soon Lord Gyousei will have you and your powers. It won't be long before this world is covered in eternal darkness."

* * *

After the five minute walk, Tea finally arrived at the shop. She was just about to open the door when she suddenly stopped, her conversation with Jouta just would not leave her mind. What exactly was she suppose to do and how would she make this decision? Whatever she decided would affect the entire world, including her friends...and the only man that she will ever love. The thought of them being in danger because of her, it was enough to make her wish she never had this power. For so long, Tea wanted to be seen as more than just a cheerleader on the sidelines, now she finally had the strength to protect them..._protect _them. She had some thinking to do and she didn't have a lot of time to do it.

Hiding any signs of sadness and worry, Tea opened the door to be greeted with sounds of yelling...from none other than Joey and Tristan, of course. She came inside to see them fighting over what looked like the last of the brownies that were on a platter. It was being used in a game of Tug-of-War. Yugi and Shirabe were following the movement of the platter with their heads, wondering which side would get it first. The war did end....and there was a victor....but it was NOT Joey or Tristan and they both knew it. Which is why they both had wide eyed expressions.

"Mmm-mmm, that was one of the best brownies I've ever had. Hey, let me know when you guys fight over any more sweets." The victor of the brownie was none other than Kiyo himself, in his smaller form, floating in midair while he rubbed his tummy after enjoying the delicious sensation of the fudge brownie. So, now the only thing that Tristan and Joey won...was and empty platter.

Tea smiled and laughed a little as she watched Joey and Tristan chase Kiyo around in a circle. Those two and their stomachs will never change. Yugi, of course, was trying to settle the two eating machines down, but it was a pretty funny sight and he couldn't help but let a few chuckles escape from him. Shirabe sat elegantly on the floor watching the four boys running, or in Kiyo's case, flying around the room. Well, there was something good that came out of discovering her powers; Tea had two more friends to call her own. Even though they came from a different time and dimension, she was happy to have them around.

Without being discovered, Tea entered into the kitchen to set down the bags she held. Without realizing it, her hand unconsciously moved up to the necklace that carried her staff. She had a few hours to figure out what she planned to do tonight. For now, Tea would not worry about it. This was the time to spend with her friends and she was going to make every second count...just in case, she may never see them again.

She then started to remove her jacket, but felt another set of hands doing the job for her. Turning around, Tea found that it was Atem who was responsible. She smiled, happy to see his face as she allowed him to help her shrug off her jacket. He placed it aside and his arms wrapped around her like a warm blanket. It was funny; she felt more warmth coming from Atem than her own jacket. Sure because of the body heat, but it wasn't just that. Maybe the comfort of his embrace is what brought such warmth.

"You took a little longer than expected to get the items, I was just about to come find you." he murmured against her hair. Tea smiled knowing how protective Atem gets when it comes to her.

"There was no need for that," Tea raised her head so that her eyes could meet with those mysterious, yet loving eyes of his, "I just decided to take a little walk before I came back." she said.

Atem stared at her carefully, she seemed to be acting a little off. There was something he couldn't quite grasp onto, she was being strangely...distant. Like there was something she was keeping from him. "Are you all right? You seem to be bothered by something...or am I wrong?"

"No, no...I'm fine, really." Tea tried to shake off what she was thinking about and continue to smile. She knew that Atem had the ability to pick up or sense if there was anything wrong with a person. She was right from the way he was looking at her. So, to avoid the subject, she reluctantly moved out of his arms to unpack everything she bought. "You should hear the noise coming from the other room. Kiyo ate the last of the brownies, so Joey and Tristan are trying the catch the little guy." she said laughing a bit from the sight she saw before coming into the kitchen while preparing another platter of snacks.

Atem didn't seem to be smiling at the moment. He was still wondering why Tea is suddenly so distant with him, and from how long it took her to come back, he guessed that something happened around the time she was out. She was not telling him something, but he was determined to find out what it is that's bothering her.

They both walked into where the others were currently sitting, well...the two eating machines were still chasing Kiyo around. "Guys, you can stop now. You know, it was a good thing that I decided to go out to get more stuff. The entire house would probably be in deep catastrophe." Tea said. Just like that, the running stopped, but it immediately turned into the direction where Tea was holding the platter. Before they could attack her, she quickly placed it down on the nearest table and moved out of the way, right when she was about to be trampled.

While those two occupied the platter, Tea was greeted by a flying Kiyo who sat upon her shoulder, giving her a purring hello. "Perfect timing as always, Tea." he said with a cheeky grin.

Shirabe also greeted Tea with a purr, and also with a nuzzle when she felt her hand petting the top of her head. "So, were you able to find everything that was needed, Tea?" Yugi asked from his place next to Atem.

"Yeah, I did..." It was becoming hard for Tea to be cheerful in front of her friends, but she knew that if she showed the _slightest _ounce of sadness, they would start wondering. Which would lead her into explaining and that is something she just could not do. Protecting them was the only thing that was important to her.

Shirabe felt Tea's hand on her head stop suddenly and she looked to see what appeared to be a troubled look. "Is there something the matter, Tea?" she asked. She wasn't the only one who noticed; Yugi, Kiyo and now Joey and Tristan, who stopped their eating fest, turned to see their friend looking a bit sad. Atem noticed right away, sensing it the time he came into the room to greet her.

"Guys, come on relax, I'm fine." she said reassuring them.

"Well, we just want to make sure that nothing was bothering you. Plus...you did take a bit long to come back." Yugi replied.

"What is this, an interrogation? I said I'm fine, the reason I took so long to come back was because of the little walk I had. Is there a crime in me taking walks now?!" Everyone in the room was surprised by how Tea just suddenly blew up like that. Tea noticed the looks and took a deep breath to calm down. She wasn't doing a very good job in convincing them that she was okay at all. "Listen...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap off like that. Believe me, guys, I really am okay...I guess I'm just tired from the intense training. Which makes me glad that we're taking a break from everything, if only for a little while. I just want to feel like things are normal again; no Shadow Demons, no magic powers and _definitely_ no Lord Gyousei. Hey, I'll even sit down to watch one of Joey's boring action movies."

"They aren't boring!" Joey said defending his lovable movies, then he turned to his fellow men to back him up, "Come on guys, help me out here."

The only response Joey got was silence from the three, "Actually Joey, after saving the world so many times, those movies don't seem to have that much suspense, but they are still fun to to watch." Yugi said.

"You guys are SO not getting Christmas gifts from me this year." Everyone in the room laughed as they watch Joey pouting his lip. Just by watching this, it made Tea know just how lucky she was to have her friends; thankful that she had the opportunity to enjoy her time with them. So, if this would be her final moment with them, then she would remember it always.

Amethyst eyes continued to watch Tea without her realizing and they could see that something was off with her. She may have done a good job convincing everyone that she was fine, but Atem knew better; he could tell there was more that she was not saying...and he was going to find out _exactly _what is was. For now, he just allowed himself to wind down and have fun; which was still foreign to him, but none the less, it was still great to relax once in a while.

* * *

The hours have passed, the daylights quickly changed into nightfall. The winds began to pick up and the clouds started to form together with the thunder being heard in the distance. Jouta had just arrived to the meeting place where he would be expecting Tea to show up. Judging from his conversation earlier with her, he knew that he had the advantage. His plan was going to work, all she had to do was show up and surrender.

When he left the park, Jouta went back to inform Gyousei of his success, but even if there was somehow a loophole in his plan, Jouta was already prepared should it fail. He was confident, however, that his master plan would do the exact opposite. Kiyori and Nagaharu were both too egotistical and too distracted in their interests when they fought against Tea, which is why they were destroyed.

So, now he was here, standing on top of the city tower looking down on all of the moving cars and people who are going home for the night. They have no idea on what will be happening in just a short period of time. How much their little happy world, will be brought down by one powerful sorcerer. _'Silly little humans, they are completely clueless to the change that will occur. Enjoy it while it lasts, because once this world is controlled by Lord Gyousei, he will be the only one that will take pleasure in watching you all suffer.'_

_

* * *

_

Nightfall...the moment that Tea has been dreading, it was almost time to meet Jouta. The lights were out and the only thing that was glowing was the television screen with the DVD movie menu that was repeatedly playing over again. Everyone in the room was sleeping; Joey was sprawled out on the floor snoring away, Tristan and Yugi both took the two single chairs, also asleep, Shirabe was curled up peacefully with Kiyo on her back, just like she saw them before. It was like they were comfortable sleeping that way, knowing they were both with each other.

And finally...Atem, who she was sitting next to on the sofa. His eyes were just like the others, closed and unknown to anything around them. Tea was the only one who was not under the sleeping spell, in fact, she was not able to close her eyes for even a second. She felt like the odd one out, but then again, it was good that sleep didn't take her over. She wanted to wait until everyone was out before she took off.

Slowly moving, without waking Atem, she stood up from the sofa and walked over to the window. Dark clouds were now starting to form, indicating that rain was coming it's way. It was like a dark blanket of despair covering the sky. It was ironic how this just suddenly came, it's as if the weather could sense how she was feeling at this very moment. But, no matter how much she just wanted to stay here and forget the conversation she had with Jouta, she had to go for the sake of her friends. Even if it's to take on Gyousei alone, then Tea was willing to take that risk.

Lifting her necklace, Tea magically transformed her staff, holding her weapon firmly in her hands. Her clothes were also transformed into her battle outfit when she tapped the star necklace around her neck. She was now ready to leave, but there was one last thing she wanted to do first. Turning back to the sofa, she walked back over to the sleeping Atem. She thought his face looked so handsome when he was fast asleep. What sort of dreams was he having, she wondered? Her hand reached out to caress his cheek.

"You know...I'm kind of hoping that you would wake up right now." she whispered as her hand crept up to his golden bangs. "You would stop me, wouldn't you? Just...tell me that this is a big mistake and I'm out of my mind for even _thinking _of doing this." She waited for a response, a movement..._anything_ that would tell Tea that Atem could hear her, but there was nothing but silence. She sighed, but let out a little smile. "Maybe...it's best that you're not awake. Maybe, this is a sign that what I'm doing _is _the right decision. Please, my love, just try to understand that I'm doing this for you and the others." She leaned over to gently press her lips against his, wishing that he was awake to share, what may be, their final kiss.

"If I don't return...just promise me you won't forget me, and to remember that I will always love you." She reluctantly stood and walked to the door, pausing once more to glance at her beloved. Tears were desperately trying to spill out, but she pushed them back, knowing there was no room for weakness. She would not show weakness, no matter what obstacle came her way.

Once the door was closed, Tea failed to notice that as she was leaving, a pair amethyst eyes were wide awake. What he just heard...from the woman that he loves was slowly breaking his heart. He knew something was wrong, she was putting herself in danger and he had to stop her by any means necessary.

So, without making a sound, Atem prepared himself by summoning his sword and magically changing his attire. The others were still sound asleep, but he was sure to be back, with Tea, in time before any of them woke up. His main focus was catching up to Tea before it was too late.

* * *

The city was silent, all except for the sounds of rain pattering against the ground. The hood was covered over Tea's head as she jumped from building to building, getting to her destination in time. The tower was still a ways ahead and she had to hurry, fearing that if she was late, then there would be something else to worry about. Tea stopped for a second to catch her breath, the rain was beginning to come down a little harder, but she needed to keep going.

She wondered if Atem had noticed she was gone yet. Wondered what he could be thinking now. Would he be angry that she just left without even saying goodbye? Even if he was, at least now he and the others are safe. And that was all that really mattered to her.

There was no more time to waste, Tea had to hurry and arrive to the tower, though she didn't know why she had to hurry...since she doesn't even know what decision she would be making. It was almost as if something was pushing her to get there before...

She stopped again. She sensed another presence coming closer and closer...right behind her. "Jouta, I thought we were meeting on the tower. Are you that desperate to know my decision?" she asked holding her staff out, ready to use should she need to.

"And what decision do you need to make to him?" Tea gasped and felt herself grow stiff...that was not Jouta's voice. Her heart was beating rapidly as the person walked closer, the footsteps getting louder, even in the rain. She was not expecting him to be here.

"Atem..." she whispered. Indeed, it was Atem. His hood was placed upon his head, but Tea was still able to recognize him. A part of her was a bit happy that he came to find her, but the logical side of her; the side that wanted to protect her friends, to protect _him_, was wishing that he just stayed back with the others. _'What is he doing here?' _And she was about to ask him that out loud, but he spoke again.

"You did not answer my question...what decision do you suddenly need to make, Tea?" His voice was monotone, but that was still enough to know that Atem was angry. Angry at her? She wouldn't be surprised if he was, she would understand if he was angry too. She chose not to say anything just yet, not knowing what to do next. Before he came, Tea was already set out to do this without having to worry about anyone stopping her. "Let me ask this..." She waited for the next question Atem had, but had a guess on what he was planning on asking, "Is this the reason why you were suddenly so distant today? Why you were taking so long to come back?" The questions were too much for Tea and she did the one thing that came to mind.

She ran from him.

Into the direction of where the tower was. Maybe, if she was fast enough, then she would be able to lose Atem. It was not something she wanted to do, but it's what she HAD to do. For his sake, it was better this way. The rain was falling heavily now, but it was not a concern to Tea. The tower was still a long ways away and she needed to get there. The rain was blinding her vision, not to mention the tears that were trying to spill over. Though, it just made her want to run faster; to just wish she was like the wind.

She couldn't tell if Atem was running after her, one reason for being that the only thing she could hear was her breathing. Plus, she was putting all of her concentration on trying to reach her destination, and because of it, she bumped into something that caused her to fall backwards. That something was a hard chest of a hooded figure.

"Are you going to stop running now?"

_'No way.' _Tea couldn't believe that it was Atem again, but how did he manage to pass her so quickly? Then again, she wasn't surprised in the least. He was the pharaoh and his powers were indeed still questionable to anyone. She picked herself up and they stood face to face...no one said a word. It was like a staring contest, but it was to see who would talk first. Tea was getting tired of the silence though. "Atem, I have to do this...please, just understand."

"Understand what, Tea? You have yet to _make _me understand, because you won't tell me what it is that I _need _to understand. But judging by how you left...without even explaining your reason, I can just put it all together." he said.

"This is for the best, you may not agree, but it's a choice that I have to make." Without saying anymore, Tea walked around Atem to continue on her way to the tower.

"So, you're just going to quit? Give up? Or the phase that people say, "throw in the towel"? Atem had his arms folded and he turned to look at Tea, who had her back facing him. "Because that is NOT the Tea I know. She wouldn't quit when the odds are against her, she wouldn't give up when things seem hopeless to her."

Tea thought the the grip on her staff couldn't get any more tighter that it already was. "You don't understand." she muttered.

"You keep saying that, but you're not making any attempts to get me to. You're right, I **don't **understand why the woman that I love is surrendering herself to the enemy! I **don't **understand why she won't give me a DECENT explanation as to why she's suddenly giving up!" Atem was tired of standing in his spot and he walked around until he was in front of Tea. Grabbing her arms and shaking slightly, trying to get her to give him some answers. "I **don't **understand, Tea! So, MAKE ME UNDERSTAND!" he yelled.

"I'M DOING THIS FOR YOU!!" she yelled back and lightning began to strike the sky once she finally admitted what her reason was. Atem was speechless...she was doing this for him? But why? As if reading his mind, Tea continued. "When we fought against Nagaharu and when he purposely made you fall, my heart stopped. There was nothing I could do, but watch you disappear in that fog. I know we talked about this before, but I've never stopped thinking about it. You were fighting for ME, trying to protect ME and you almost lost your life because of ME! As long as I have these powers, you and the others are in danger, along with everyone else on this planet." Right now, the tears that Tea was holding back for so long were now streaming down her cheeks and the rain just made her face wetter than it was.

Atem helped her to wipe the tears away. His heart always clenches whenever he watches her cry, but now he knew the reason as to why she was leaving. He let her continue with explaining, sensing that she still had more to say. "Atem...believe me, I wasn't going to give up so easily. I had planned to tell Jouta that I was surrendering to Gyousei, so that I could have my chance to fight against him. If Anzu defeated him back then, I can do the same thing."

"Tea, don't you realize how dangerous that would have been if you went there alone? It's too risky." Atem said trying to reason with her.

"It's better than losing you and the rest of our friends. I won't have you all risking your lives for me, I just won't allow it." She gasped when Atem pulled her into his arms...and if she wasn't mistaken, she could feel a bit of a tremble from him. Was it from the cold...or was he afraid for her?

"How do you think I would feel if something happened to you, Tea? Don't you think I would feel the same way? Wanting to risk everything, just to make sure that no harm comes to you. It's how I felt whenever **I **had a new evil to face, but what did you and the others do? You stood by me, even when I asked you all not to get involved or to stay back, you all never left me. And I think that's where I learned about true friendship." He pulled back so that he could stare into her sparkling blue eyes. "As I told you before, you're not alone. Let me help you, Tea. Let our friends help you...please, don't push us away...don't push me away and think you have to face this by yourself. You don't have put everything on the line for us, nothing will happen."

"You don't know that." she said.

Atem just smiled. "Maybe not, but what I DO know is that we have faith on our side. As long as we have that, Tea, then there's nothing we can't do. You believe that, don't you?" In her heart, Tea DID believe it and she knew that Atem was right. Which is why she threw her arms around him as if he was her last lifeline.

"You're so stubborn, but I'm glad that you are. Was I ever like this with you?" she asked. Atem chuckled.

"Yes, you had your moments. One of the reasons why I fell in love with you." Tea giggled a little while her face showed a small hint of a blush. They were becoming very soaked from the rain, but they had so much warmth, so it really didn't matter.

Their moment was interrupted when they both sensed something dark coming, only to find that it was Jouta appearing out of his dark portal. Atem took a protective stance in front of Tea, making sure that she was safely behind him. "I do remember saying that our meeting was to be held at the tower, Tea. You have me waiting for quite some time now...and I do not take likely for any of my time to be wasted." he said in the same cold, monotone voice. Atem was about to retort back, but when he felt Tea's hand on his shoulder and seeing her reassuring look, he knew that she could handle. So, the only thing he'll be doing is keeping an eye on Jouta. He's already gone too far.

"I haven't forgotten where we were suppose to meet...but I guess since you're here, I can tell you what I plan on doing." Jouta looked satisfied by her response, but wasn't very pleased with seeing Atem with her.

"You have brought your pharaoh along?" It was more of a statement that a question. Atem glared, he was seriously itching to take this demon down himself, but the only thing that was keeping him back was Tea. "Why don't we just cut to the chase, shall we? What is your decision?" Jouta's arms were folded, waiting for the words he wanted to hear.

"My decision...is that you can forget it, I'm not giving up anything for Gyousei. If he wants my powers so badly, then he's just going to have to fight me." Taking her staff, she pointed it forward with the orb glowing at the tip. Atem also drew his sword, preparing to fight as well. The glare in Jouta's eyes was extremely dangerous, his hand curled up into a tight fist. He was angry, but didn't show much of the emotion. Hid body language was enough to confirm it.

"What a shame...I had expected for you to come willingly, but it looks as if I have to force you after all." The wind began to grow so strongly that the hoods from Atem and Tea's cloaks blew off their heads. By the power they felt from Jouta, they could tell it was going to be a tough battle. Even more tougher than the battle with Nagaharu. Jouta summoned what appeared to be hilt from a samurai sword. It wasn't much of a weapon...if he didn't add his powers to it. Using the magic of the wind, Jouta was able to create a blade to connect with the hilt. He smirked slightly once he saw their shocked faces.

"Well, shall we begin?"

**XxX**

**Chapter complete, things are now beginning to heat up. In the next chapter, Gyousei will make his appearance known to the gang. So, if you want to find out what happens, you must review. Again readers, I am so very sorry that you all had to wait so long. Since I have finished with this chapter, I am immediately going to get to work to start another one for the next story I need to update. I'm going to do my very best to get them posted in time. Until next time, guys. Teardrop Lotus signing off.**


	13. Entering Lord Gyousei

**A/N: **Back once again readers. I have decided to take a small break from "Connected Hearts" and update one of my other stories. I am in the process of writing the chapter, but I'm having a lot of set backs. So, here is thanks to the following who have reviewed my last chapter of this story:

Atem's Sister Atea  
darkmagiciangirl13  
takerschick  
fantasia-49  
Divinitas  
Koragirl  
Hikari-blood  
dancers of the night  
Peaches16x3  
CraziAnzGirl  
aya mohamed

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Summary:** In a world thousands of years ago, there lived mystical creatures who lived peacefully, that was until a dark presence threatened to take over. He almost succeeded until he was stopped by a beautiful princess who saved the creatures from his evil wrath. Now, 10,000 years later into the present time, he has come back to finish what he started...and also, get revenge on the one who stopped him.

* * *

_Recap: _

_"What a shame...I had expected for you to come willingly, but it looks as if I have to force you after all." The wind began to grow so strongly, that the hoods on Atem and Tea cloaks blew off their heads. By the power they felt from Jouta, they could tell it was going to be a tough battle. Even more tougher than the battle with Nagaharu. Jouta summoned what appeared to be a hilt from a samurai sword. It wasn't much of a weapon...if he didn't add his powers to it. Using the magic of the wind, Jouta was able to create a blade to connect with the hilt. He smirked slightly once he saw their shocked faces._

_"Well, shall we begin?"_

**Chapter 13  
**

Shock was replaced with glares of determination as Atem and Tea both prepared their weapons for another brawl with Gyousei's loyal adversary**. **This was the first time that Jouta has shown all of his power, and it was just a wonder if they were both strong enough to defeat him. Jouta was more of the strategist amongst him, Kiyori and Nagaharu. Tea and Atem knew that it fighting him would be more difficult, since Jouta thinks before he jumps into an attack. There were no thoughts of obsession or taste for power. No, his focus was getting the job Gyousei has placed upon him completed.

So now, here they stand...in the blistering wind and the heavy rain, waiting to see who would make the first move on either side. It was a bit of a stalemate, like they were waiting for a signal to indicate the start of the battle.

And just like that, lightning flashed through the sky, making Atem and Tea charge forward with their weapons to land the first attack. Jouta smirked as he watched them coming closer and closer. Witnessing the previous fights gave him the chance to learn their moves. His predictions of their attacks were correct when both sword and staff glowed simultaneously and he would surprise them with a move of his own.

As they were running, Atem and Tea watched as Jouta continued to stand in the same spot. They wondered why...why was he not even putting an effort to lift up his weapon also? But with their combined powers, they could easily put a good amount damage on the wind demon; if only a little. Just as the their weapons were coming in contact with Jouta, they were shocked to feel the force of the wind circling his body...creating what appeared to be his own tornado. Without even moving an inch of his body, the powerful tornado clashed into Atem and Tea, causing them to repel backwards and hit the puddling rooftop.

After making sure that Tea was not injured, which he was gratefully relieved that she wasn't, Atem decided to go solo for a bit and try to land an attack on Jouta again. He was determined to bring out everything he had inside him to take him down and protect Tea. This was the second time that Jouta managed to lure her into his psychotic traps. Only this time, he used her feelings and her friends in his favor; to make her think that surrendering herself was the only logical solution. Knowing that it was Jouta's way of saying that it would help in Gyousei's victory against this world.

It made the attack, that was burning through his hand, want to hit Jouta and cause severe damage. Maybe even destroying him on the spot.

The power traveled through his sword, the flames were swirling around the blade just like how his heart was feeling. Not wanting to waste his chance, Atem ran towards Jouta again, expecting to have his blade to hit the source that was on the side of destruction.

Jouta looked on in boredom, watching as Atem was making another attempt to try and attack him. Witnessing the look in his eyes of hope, faith, courage, love...words that did not exist in his world. Words that he was disgusted to even say out loud.

When Atem was coming at him again, Jouta began to show the first sign of movement by lifting up right hand that was gripping his own sword. It was ascending slowly up to his left shoulder, into a position of when he would strike down. He did not have long to wait. For when the time was right, Jouta slashed his sword in midair; creating a strong surge of wind that had the same amount of force as his first attack. A blank stare was the only thing visible upon his face as he watched his attack being thrown out.

Atem's sword was ready to plunge, when he gasped slightly from Jouta's movement. It did not, however, stop him from running. It only caused him to think that Jouta would come at him the same way. A battle of swords is how he put it. That thought was quickly erased as Atem watched Jouta slash the air, like he was destroying some invisible force. The slash was a hurling wind that was coming straight towards him, and because it was coming at him with such intense speed, Atem did not have time to dodge quickly. He suffered yet another hit, feeling himself skidding back to where Tea had still landed.

"Atem!" Tea was able to catch Atem before he injured himself anymore by landing hardly against the now drenched roof. She heard a weird noise, and felt a shuddering, cold chill. Looking up, Tea realized that there was another powerful wind that was coming her way. Sensing how strong it was, she quickly put up a shield to protect her and Atem until it passed. One hand was raised to hold up the shield while the other one stayed around Atem. Keeping her shield up was beginning to become a difficult task, Jouta's magic was immensely powerful.

_'I have...to keep this up,' _Tea squinted her eyes in order to take a glance at Jouta, still standing in his original position. Not once moving an inch. _'He must have some sort of weak spot...but, where exactly?' _

"I am getting disappointed. Surely, this is not the best you can do_..._where is your true power?" he said taunting her. He was about to put another power boost to his gusting wind, when a golden beam came charging at him in an intense speed. Jouta quickly dodged the beam, only to have part of his cloak take the damage. His blank stare looked up, losing concentration on his wind, to where the attack came from.

The shield was dropped and Tea was just as surprised by that golden beam shooting passed her. Her eyes rested on Atem, watching as the hand, that held his sword, was pointed out. The blade was ready for a taste of anything to slash or collide into.

Jouta chuckled after a moment of silence, "Impressive...I'll admit, your attack took me by surprise. That is _exactly _the kind of power that I have been waiting to see." For that one, split second, Jouta's gray eyes glowed a misty white before they turned to normal again. His sword was poised in position. "Our battle can _truly _begin now."

Tea glared at the smugness of Jouta's voice. She was simply irritated by the cockiness of him thinking he had the upper hand in this fight. If he wanted a battle, then he was surely going to get one, but the outcome of this battle will not turn out the way he predicted it.

The wind was picking up again; not naturally, it was being controlled and manipulated by Jouta. His powers were swirling around his entire body, making it look as if he was being engulfed in a swirling vortex. Part of this powerful wind shot out like before, but this time, Atem and Tea both dodged away in time. Through the wind, Jouta noticed that they both did not land back in their original spots again. They just disappeared, like the wind swallowed them.

So, he tried to sense their energy readings. Where exactly did they go? Was this a trap? A trick that would blow up in his face when he let his guard down? He stopped the wind he was creating and waited for any signs of movement or breathing...but it was total silence. It really did seem like they both just vanished into thin air. _'How can this be possible?_' He concentrated hard to pinpoint their location.

And he found them.

But, Jouta was still brought to shock when Tea and Atem's attacks were coming from both sides of him. It was too late for Jouta to make a counter attack or to even escape in time. So, he was caught in within these two attacks; hitting him on the spot where nothing was seen but large, ball of light.

Atem and Tea both landed back and waited to see if their strategy had worked. It was a risky move, and planned out in only the little time they had, but from their progress, there were no mistakes. Now, they just had to see if it took affect.

Minutes have passed, and yet, there was still no sign of Jouta from the blast. Anticipation was creeping slowly within their bodies. Tea was clutching her staff against her chest, hating the fact that there was no clue on whether it worked or not. The rain continued to pour on her body, but that was not causing her to shake uncontrollably. "Do you think it worked?" she asked.

"We'll just have to see," Atem watched from the corner of his eye at how Tea was shaking, but it was clearly not from fear. No, her eyes were telling another story; a glare that was not hard to miss. He gasped slightly, catching something else from her...a spark. A little, blue spark suddenly came and gone from her hand. He wasn't sure if it was his mind playing tricks on him, but Atem did not have enough time to worry about it now. Instead, he reached out to touch the hand where he _thought _the spark appeared. "Don't worry...whatever happens, I will be right here with you."

Tea smiled, she needed that reassurance from him. "I know you will," she said while giving a small squeeze to his hand she was holding.

"How touching..." It couldn't be, but the voice that Atem and Tea heard, could not be mistaken. They both watched as Jouta walked slowly out of the blast, that was now dimming away. But what shocked them the most, was that he did not take any damage from the attack; Jouta was completely unharmed. "You two continue to surprise me, and if you have not figured it out by now...I do not like surprises." His hand thrust outward and four Shadow Demons appeared. However, these were not the same shadows they have faced against before...these demons were shifting into large, shadow wolves. Each of them infused with a dark aura.

They were surrounded, each wolf took a corner which was making it impossible to even move. The negative energy was not hard to miss either. Just feeling this power sent a frigid shiver up their spines.

The wolves just stood in a charged position, snarling and growling as an evil, dark mist was swirling around their bodies. They were ready to strike the first thing they could sink their teeth into. Atem and Tea stayed closely to each other; standing back to back and keeping their eyes locked at the wolves that were facing in front of them.

"Tea..." Atem called out to her, taking a quick glance behind him.

"Yeah?" she answered back, without removing her eyes from the two growling wolves.

"Be careful...these wolves do not just want to fight," Atem took a look into each one of their silver, glazed eyes, "They're after you. And once they go on the attack, they will not stop until they reach you. But, I'm not going to let them even _breathe_ on you." He threw a fierce glare at each corner to where one wolf occupied.

As much as she hated the situation, Atem was correct. These wolves were only hungry for her energy and her magic, but just as Atem said, she was not going to give them chance to sink their teeth into her. She was afraid, yes, but there was no way she would let that weaken her. She needed to be strong. And as long as her pharaoh was near, she would always have that strength. "Don't worry, when we're done with them, they're going to be running with their tails between their legs," she said and her staff's orb began to glow again.

Atem chuckled, "That's my girl...shall we?"

Tea smirked, "Yes, let's." So, there was no more waiting on they're part. Atem and Tea decided to go and land the first surprise attack, refusing to let the wolves jump in the lead. They both jumped forward to begin battle with the two wolves they were facing.

Atem used his sword to slash the wolf that was closest to him, making sure to keep one eye out for the other one that was behind him. He was now standing in the middle, his eyes moving from one wolf to the other. Wondering which one was going to strike him first. But that prediction took a different route, because instead of one, _both _wolves decided to run forward to land a hit on Atem. Of course, being the King of Games, Atem loves a good challenge. He just smirked and flipped backwards, making them both crash into each other. When Atem landed perfectly on his feet again, the wolves were shaking off their dizziness and faced him again as if nothing had ever happened.

Before their claws came in contact, Atem quickly went into defense by blocking them with his sword. He pushed back with extreme force and his fire power was summoned from deep within the blade. The flames came out in a swirling ring, satisfied when it hit in a direct attack. Hopefully, enough to have wiped them out. As he watched the flames to disperse, Atem's grip upon his sword tightened, seeing that his attack had barely did anything to these shadow wolves. He knew it would be difficult to take down these howling creatures, but he didn't know it _how _difficult. And looking over to Tea, she wasn't fairing better than he was.

The two wolves battling against Tea were snarling even fiercer than the other two. Mainly because of the scent of Tea's pure energy. They had a lock on her and Tea knew that if she didn't act fast and stay one step ahead of them, she was going to be in serious danger.

"By the looks of you guys, I'm guessing you didn't have your dinner," Tea twirled her staff and held it firmly, ready to attack. "Sorry, but you're going to have to find another buffet table elsewhere," With that said, Tea fired a series of ice attacks towards them. With their speed, the wolves managed to dodge the shards of ice, leaving no scratch behind.

Tea expected that taking out these wolves filled with darkness was not going to be an easy task. She knew that straight away. Which was why she needed to come up with a way to cause damage without letting the wolves know exactly when her next attack was coming.

Brainstorming and keeping track of the wolves whereabouts was a little hard for Tea to do. But she decided to take it one step at a time. She looked over to how Atem was holding up and was relieved to see he was managing well. But still, before most of their energy was used up, she and Atem needed to find a way to take out these wolves. Because they still had to defeat Jouta, and they had to save as much of their powers as possible. Which was why Tea had to think of a strategy.

Though these were not Duel Monsters, Tea was treating this as if it was a duel. She remembered all of the strategic moves from watching past duels that Atem, Yugi and Joey were in. How they came out on top when the odds were against them. And now, it was her turn.

Tea studied the movements of both wolves, while at the same time keeping herself guarded should they try another attempt to attack her. Suddenly without warning, Tea found herself between the beasts when they used their blinding speed. Each of them ran closer to Tea ready to sink their teeth into her. But Tea refused to give them the upper hand. As soon as the wolves were close enough to her, Tea decided to try out an attack that she has been working on in her training.

The orb on her staff changed into a mystical, icy blue glow. Using both of her hands, Tea held the staff above her head, closing her eyes to concentrate on her task. Her eyesight was out of play for now, but she was still able to sense the how closely the wolves were coming at her. With the help of her dancing abilities, Tea guided her right leg forward to spin around as if she were performing in a ballet recital. While she was spinning, the glowing orb became brighter and out came beautiful, crystal, ice shards. She combined that with a swirl of energy, which made it looked like there was a long, enchanted ribbon circling around her body.

With this attack, the wolves were not able to escape the illumination of Tea's energy. They craved it yes, but actually being under this pure light was too much for them. The shards were coming out and hitting the wolves directly, causing definite damage.

The wolves that Atem were fighting against were blinded by the glowing light Tea was giving off as well. He looked at her in amazement. Atem had been studying Tea's training for a while now, but he has never witnessed this kind of ability from her before. _'This is incredible...' _With the wolves distracted, Atem took the advantage to push off the one that he was holding back with his sword. It caused them to be hit by the shards too. Millions of those shards and the energy wave were just enough to weaken the wolves.

Atem could sense Tea's energy starting to drain, but she was still able to fight. His determination and his promise to protect her was more than enough to keep his spirit fired. With the wolves separated and falling back into different directions, Atem took his chance to run back to Tea just when she was beginning to slow down on her attack.

From the sidelines, Jouta was also watching how the battle was turning out. He knew the wolves did not show as much potential, but he just used them in order to get Atem and Tea's energy to drop easily so that he would become victorious. He also wanted to study their abilities a bit more when it came time for him to fight them again. After seeing Tea's attack, Jouta was shocked by the intense power she was giving off. _'Unbelievable...such power, such energy...it seems this girl has more strength than I had imagined. I must complete my mission and capture her for Lord Gyousei.' _

Once Tea sensed that the wolves were down for now, the glow from her staff dimmed low and she brought her spin to a stop. Dizziness came upon her and she lost her balance. Tea expected her body to hit the cold, wet rooftop, but she felt herself land into something warm and secure. Despite the rain, Tea felt as if she was wrapped inside of a comfortable blanket. And when she opened her eyes, she knew why. Her pharaoh caught her in time before she could collapse completely.

Atem gently eased her down, but kept her securely within his arms. "Tea, that was amazing. Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Tea took a few seconds to recollect herself, "Just thought I try something a bit different. Hopefully, it worked," They looked to where the wolves were lying on the ground. Nothing happened so far and they started to think that Tea's attack really _had _worked. However, the thought was erased away quickly when all four of them began to stand again. Though, what shocked them the most, was that there seemed to be no sign of any type of damage. Not even a scratch was visible on any of them. "I don't get it...how could they still move after all that?"

As Atem rose up, making sure Tea was strong enough to stand on her own. He was just as confused as Tea, wondering where these shadow creatures were getting their strength. Though, this set back was not going to stop the King of Games. He had been much tougher situations than this. And with the help of his friends, he was able to succeed every time. He just needed to focus and pinpoint exactly where he could find a weakness to these wolves. And it was then that he saw it.

A little flicker, and it was present on each one of the wolves. "Tea...I think I know how we can defeat them."

"How?" Tea asked.

Atem made sure his voice was low enough for just Tea to hear him. If Jouta were to catch on to his theory, he would try to find a way to counter it with another tactic. It was now or never. "Look closely at the wolves, do you see anything peculiar about them?"

Tea did what she was told and examined the wolves carefully. She even made sure her senses were high so that if her eyes _did _miss anything, she would be able to feel something different. So far, Tea was not able to pick up anything...until a flash caught her attention. Four little flashes to be exact. One appeared on the forehead of each one of the wolves. "Yeah, I can see it now. What are those things, Atem?" she whispered.

"I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that it could be their weakness," Atem kept his eyes locked to the snarling wolves, watching as they started to move forward. He was not going to allow them to take the chance. "It seems that no matter how many times we attack them, they are always able to survive it without a scratch. So, we may just have a chance if we hit those flickers directly."

Tea nodded, completely understanding Atem's strategy. "It's worth a shot. We each take on the ones nearest to us, okay?"

Confirming the plan, Atem and Tea both ran forward to try their attacks again. Seeing this, the wolves took their opportunity also. Atem saw that all four of them were aiming straight for Tea, just as he predicted they would. Since they were so distracted with getting her energy, he took this chance to power up his sword. His blade changed to an icy blue and Atem aimed it at the ones closest to him.

A swirling blizzard shot forward. And together with the rain, it made the blast much more affective, knocking two of them out and causing them to skid across the rooftop. Atem took this as his chance to test out his theory, but was a bit shocked to watch the wolves suddenly jump up and use their speed just when Atem would attack again. They were circling around him, making it seem impossible for the King of Games to do anything.

That would not stop him. Atem decided not to follow their movements with his eyes, but to follow them with his senses. So, closing his eyes, he concentrated on on which wolf would either come near him first or which would slow down first. He could pick up on their sounds and their breathing, which would give him the advantage to easily pinpoint where they would come from next.

The grip on the hilt of his sword tightened. One of the wolves were getting closer to Atem, he could feel it. And it was coming much stronger from..._'There!'_

Amethyst eyes snapped opened and Atem quickly slashed his icy blade forward onto the wolf's forehead, the exact place where he was aiming for. Atem didn't wait to see what happened with the first wolf. He was more focused on the other one, seeing it coming at him with fierceness and ready to kill. Just like his first attack, Atem brought his blade upward; watching as large, powerful shards of ice aiming straight out. Some hit to weaken the wolf's movements, but one embedded itself into the dark flash that was still present upon its head as well.

Once the wolves he was facing were struck out, Atem realized that neither one of them got back up again. But it was then, that a swirling, dark aura was surrounding both or their bodies. Atem knew that his plan worked just the way he predict it would.

Turning to Tea, he saw that she was still battling against the other two. He wanted to offer his help, but then decided to stop. Yes, he was worried for her safety, but Atem knew that if he came to her aide at every moment, Tea would not get her chance to be stronger.

Just watching her movements and her powers was proving that much. He had to believe in her just as she believes in him. And Atem does, with all of his heart. He will always have faith in his blue-eyed angel.

It was like watching her dance all over again. If the circumstances were not all that dire at the moment, he would think that she was just dancing gracefully in the moonlit rain. Even in the toughest of battles, Tea was determined as ever. When she couldn't do much, she always encouraged others to keep fighting until the end. Not only will he give the same encouraging words, Atem would do his hardest to fight along side her. _'You can do it, Tea...stay strong.'_

Tea continued to fight against the two remaining wolves. It was becoming a little difficult to hit an attack against them, since they suddenly boosted their speed. Making it almost impossible to hit the target she needed to hit. She was able to land a few direct attacks at them, but unless she hit their foreheads, they would just continue to come back at her with even more energy than ever.

Suddenly, she gasped. It was like she could hear Atem's voice within her mind, giving her all the strength to carry on. When she glanced at him, she saw him smiling. Just seeing his smile gave her enough energy and hope she needed to keep fighting.

Giving a look of determination, Tea powered up her staff to summon her fire element. The crystal orb glowed a fiery red, and for a short second, the wolves stopped in their tracks. But it was only for _that _short second since they both started to speed at her again. Maybe this would have worried anyone else, but to Tea, she was not worried in the least. In fact, this is what she wanted.

She waited for the right moment to set off her attack. As soon as the wolves were close enough to her, fire traveled out of Tea's staff; swirling out like a fiery whip, but watching as it magically transformed into a cyclone instead. The flames captured and circled the wolves, causing them to become trapped inside. Once the flames dispersed, Tea watched as the shadow beasts descended from the sky, but before they landed, the orb on her staff changed back to its original color and Tea cast her Crystal Meteor attack. The crystal shards flew out dangerously, yet beautifully at the dark flickers. Once the shards hit their mark, the wolves let out an agonizing howl as their bodies dropped down.

Breathing heavily, Tea watched as a strange darkness evaporated from the wolves' bodies. It was the same thing happening to the other two that Atem was fighting against. The same flickers that they both saw before, were magically floating and shifting into bright balls of light. The wolves were no more, their bodies were disintegrating back into the shadows until there was no trace of their presence. The balls of light flew off in different directions. It was unclear to know where _exactly _they were going.

Getting over the initial shock, Atem ran over to Tea and pulled her into an embrace. He knew that she was fine, but still wanted to feel her within his arms. He pulled back just a little to look at her. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Tea nodded, but then she smiled at her loving pharaoh. "I think if it wasn't for your strategy, we wouldn't even _be _okay."

"Even if I didn't come up with it, we still would have been able to prevail some other way," Lifting his hand, Atem allowed it to rest upon Tea's cheek; smiling as he watched her eyes closed and lean into his comfort. "See? With us fighting together, we overcame and defeated the shadows. And we can still come through the same way. I will not let you go through this alone, Tea, I promise you," His voice was determined, firmed and caring all in one.

"I'm so sorry for running off like I did. It is just the thought of you or the others hurt because of me..." Tea didn't have the strength nor the ability to finish her sentence, but she knew with Atem, she did not _have _to finish it. All she did, was just hug him once more. Wanting to feel and believe that his words spoke the truth. Tea trusted Atem, she would never doubt him. And he was right; with everyone by her side, they could conquer anything.

His arms felt so warm around her. Even with the rain, which was now letting up a bit, Tea never felt this comfortable in her life. But suddenly, that comfort turned into something to fear. Tea sensed something coming their way extremely fast. Her eyes met what appeared to be an arrow made out of Jouta's wind aura. And it was aiming right for...Atem.

Tea gasped, her eyes widened. She needed to act fast.

"Atem, watch out!"

Everything happened in slow motion.

The arrow hit its mark.

There were two gasps; one out of shock and the other of pain.

"No..."

There was a moment of silence, nothing happened during this time. It was as if everything stopped. Nothing was said, nothing was heard...there wasn't even a sign of movement. Three pairs of eyes showed their expressions of the predicament. One pair held wide, fearful eyes, another pair were half-lidded; showing different emotions of pain, but relief...and the last were sinister, showing no emotion. Cold emotionless eyes that seemed satisfied by the sight.

"No, this can't be..." Atem held Tea gently as he eased her down. He didn't realize what happened until he heard her sudden warning. But it was too late for him to react in time and because of it, Tea was hurt. As they were holding each other, drowning themselves in the warmth of their embrace, he had also sensed an aura. Of course, he knew that it was Jouta still hovering around somewhere and had vowed to take care of him after his moment with Tea.

However, he did not take in the fact that the wind demon would fire an unexpected attack. And at him for that matter. He did not even have the chance to process on what was happening at the moment. One minute, he was embracing Tea and the next he was pushed aside...watching as she took the hit for him. The arrow that was now embedded inside of her back.

Atem held her against his chest, trying to find a way to remove the arrow from Tea without making it hurt her. Just when he began to touch it, he felt a hand land on his arm. Atem watched as Tea's head lifted slowly. His heart was racing when he took a look at her eyes. Those sapphire orbs were dimming; they were losing their sparkle, their ocean blue...Atem felt helpless at the moment.

Even though she was struck, Tea managed to talk with him. "I'm so glad...you are all right," she said weakly.

"Why did you do that?" Atem did not mean to yell at her, but he didn't know what else to do. "The arrow was meant for me, why did you push me away? I would have found a way to avoid it in time and _still _save us both!"

Tea just smiled, it was all she could do at the moment. "I know...but I just...couldn't stand by and watch you get hurt. Besides...you're always saving me, right?" She felt her eyes slowly close, but she was able to say one final thing. "I wanted...to protect you, too." Her vision then turned from blurriness to darkness.

Atem was on the alarm when he watched Tea's eyes close so suddenly. He quickly felt her pulse, and was relieved to know it was normal. He heard footsteps coming his way. He knew who it was and his eyes looked up to Jouta. No, not _just _looking up, he glared at the wind demon. "What have you done to her?" Atem's voice became lower than usual.

"If you think I killed her, do not fret. She is still very much alive. The arrow has done nothing but placed a spell on her, making her sleep until I choose to awaken her," Jouta stopped, feeling that he was close enough as he stared down blankly at the pharaoh and Anzu's reincarnation. "Just as I expect would happen."

Atem was confused. Jouta_ expected _this? "What do you mean by that?" he asked viciously.

"The girl and her emotions...her _thrive _to protect the one she loves," Using his powers of the wind, Jouta created another arrow, that pierced Tea, in the palm of his hand. "I knew that if I aimed for you, that Tea would simply take the attack herself. Making it much easier for me to find a weakness."

"But that doesn't explain anything! Why would you...?" Atem stopped. He realized now. The arrow really wasn't meant for Atem and Jouta was not trying to find Atem's weakness. It was to find _Tea's _weakness. He wanted to find a way to bring _her _down. "...You used her feelings of protection to make her drop her guard. You knew that Tea was already willing to risk her life to protect the people she cared about, and you used it to your advantage!"

"The heart of a mortal...the emotions you humans feel are simply pitiful to me. It is true," Jouta's eyes stayed on Tea's unmoving body. "I simply used the girl's feelings all along. Even from the beginning. Making her think that her presence with you and those friends of yours would put you all in immense danger, if had she not decide to give herself up to Lord Gyousei," Jouta's gaze then move to Atem, who had only increased the level of his glare. "It was her love for you...that has made her weak," he said in a monotone voice.

"That is NOT true!"

"Really, it is not? The why don't you gaze down at the woman who has risked her life for you. Tell me what this "love" you share has done to her," Jouta replied while pointing at Tea.

Atem refused to listen to him. He knew that what was being told to him was a lie. His love for Tea was strong, the whole reason why she risked herself for his sake. But Atem only wished that she didn't. For the fact that Tea would still be all right if he only just sensed Jouta's attack a bit sooner. Not that he regretted hugging his beloved, but the only thing he regretted was that he was not able to protect her.

He suddenly felt his arms lighten mysteriously. Looking down, Tea was beginning to disappear, making Atem wonder and worry over what was happening to her. Just when he was about to tighten her to him, she vanished.

"What?" he whispered. It was then he looked up in time to find Tea in the arms of Jouta. She was still under his spell and he was carrying her bridal style, watching back at Atem with those gray, lifeless eyes that seem to carry no emotion whatsoever. Atem grabbed his sword and took a battle stance, glaring at the wind demon who dared to touch Tea. "What are you doing? Give her back to me!" he yelled.

"I am afraid that is not an option. My orders from Lord Gyousei will stand as planned. Tea is the key to my lord's triumphant victory, and soon the entire world will become his to control." The portal that transported to the abyss of darkness appeared behind Jouta. "Be thankful that I did not destroy you. I suggest you stay out of matters that do not concern you, Pharaoh," he said.

He was leaving with her. Atem could not stand by and watch as Jouta took his Tea away. She looked so helpless. He needed to get to her before he lost her. And just when Atem charged forward, he was hauled back from hitting something. A barrier. It came out of nowhere and it must have appeared just when Jouta turned to walk away. Atem tried and shatter the barrier with his sword, but the blade was being repelled.

And at this moment, it got Atem thinking back to his dream. The _same _dream he wished would never come true. He was trapped behind a barrier that was keeping him from getting Tea back. Atem used every attack that he could to break down this barrier. But, no matter how much he tried, it would not allow him through. Jouta was getting closer and closer to that dark portal, and Atem had to hurry before he entered inside.

The barrier was beginning to crack, just what Atem was hoping to happen. When he brought his blade down one last time, it did a lot of progress and the barrier disappeared.

That was the good news.

However, the bad news...was that he was a second too late. The dark portal was closing, but Atem tried to get to it before it closed completely. He was almost there, but the portal was gone before he could even touch it.

He fell to his knees. He wasn't able to get to her in time. Feeling angry with himself, Atem took his fist and angrily punched down on the drenched rooftop. He felt pain, but he did not care. The pain was nothing compared to the pain in his chest, seeing that he failed to save Tea.

But that was not going to stop him. Atem never gave up in the past, so he wasn't going to start now.

He picked himself up, glaring at the same spot where the portal disappeared from. The grip on his sword tightened around his fist. "Don't you worry, Tea...I will bring you back."

* * *

The wandering spirits and the intense darkness was the only thing he was focusing on. Gyousei was, once again, gathering more souls to heighten his power. No matter how many souls he gathered, they were nowhere near close to the power he was searching for. Only _one _source of energy would be enough to strengthen his abilities, but something always managed to interfere with his plans.

_'These souls are useless,'_ Gyousei held one in the palm of his hands. The energy from it was glowing, but not as brightly as the one he is seeking. He carelessly dropped it into the growing fire; silently watching in pure enjoyment as the souls suffered greatly as his power grew more and more.

A portal appeared from behind Gyousei, but he did not move or turn away from his ritual; knowing exactly who was entering his domain. It wasn't until a certain energy source that he sensed caught his attention and caused him to face Jouta, who was now walking up to him.

"My lord, I have returned with the princess," he replied. Gyousei's eyes were not deceiving him. In Jouta's arms lay the one he has been wanting to get a hold of since he sensed her presence in this world. She was finally in his grasp. He felt extremely pleased and a growing smirk was forming on his face.

An evil chuckle escaped from him. "Excellent work, Jouta. You have done tremendously well. I assume that you did not have any _trouble_ in retrieving our guest," he said coming down from his throne.

"If you are referring to the pharaoh, my lord, then it was no trouble that I could not handle. There was a small delay, but I still managed to complete my mission."

When Gyousei was close enough, Jouta handed Tea over to him. And just when he made the first touch on her, a surge of energy went through his body. This was exactly the energy that Gyousei wanted. And he finally had it; he finally had _her._ Gyousei remembered everything of Anzu's appearance; the way she moved, the way she smelled...her features. It was like he traveled back in time once again with Anzu.

"After so many years of searching for Anzu; so many centuries, I now possess the greatest power known to man," Using some of his powers, Gyousei deactivated the spell Jouta placed on Tea. He also transported her to a secluded part of the dimension, where he can easily find her.

"If you do not mind me asking, Lord Gyousei...but what is our next plan of action?" Jouta asked.

"Well, we need to make our newest addition feel welcome. So, I will be making sure she is fully comfortable. As for the pharaoh and his friends, I have no doubt, whatsoever, that they will try and break through my barriers to take back Anzu," Gyousei just smirked and turned to Jouta. "You just make sure that they are not successful. I do not care how, but nothing will interfere in my quest for power."

Jouta bowed in respect and nodded. "Yes, my lord." Knowing that his job was finished, for now, he left through a portal; leaving Gyousei alone once again.

This now gave Gyousei the chance to check in on Tea. He could feel the anticipation growing as he traveled through the shadows of his world. He didn't tell Jouta where exactly he transported her. He wanted to keep that information to himself. And also, to not be disturbed by anything that should distract him.

So, here he was. Standing in front of a chamber door where he transported Tea's body. He could still feel the immense energy even from the closed door. The energy that he has been itching to absorb for his own. Opening the door, he went inside to see Tea still asleep. The spell that Jouta cast upon her should be just about lifted by now, meaning that she would awaken any moment.

The room was like the rest of his world; dark. But since he knew that Tea would be within his presence, he made it more to her liking. Cream silk blankets, that she was currently resting on, were spread out on a king-sized bed. A vanity with a large mirror was across the room and silk drapes that lead out to a balcony; showing the view to the outside. Gyousei was confident that she would not want to leave. But if things did turn differently, he would simply change that.

Sounds of moaning occurred, giving Gyousei the notion that Tea was stirring from her sleep. Finally, he was now able to talk with her face to face. He watched as her eyes began to flutter open, and could see a glimmer of sapphire blue. Gyousei smirked; it was not time for his plan to begin.

Blurriness was the first thing that Tea saw when she opened her eyes. Her mind did not process to where she was at the moment, but she felt herself laying on something incredibly soft. She just wanted to go back to dreamland. But as much as she wanted to sleep some more, her mind was telling her that now was not the time. Something was wrong here. It felt peaceful, but Tea sensed that where she was now, peaceful was far from it. Where was Atem? Was he even here? What about the others? Did they know she was gone?

"Ah, you are awake."

Tea silently gasped. Who's voice was that? It did not sound familiar to her and when she heard it, everything around her felt cold. Just hearing the sound of this person's voice _screamed _that he was evil.

She turned to where the voice came from, and found a tall, muscled figure standing in front of her. And when she caught a glimpse of his eyes, Tea had to, _literally_, turn away. His eyes carried so much evil that it was even impossible to look into them. But who says that Tea would back down? She did not like the situation and she was going to get answers.

She quickly leaped from the bed she was laying on and made sure she kept some distance between her and this stranger. "Who are you?" she asked firmly. Her staff was also summoned to aide her.

"Do not feel alarmed. After all..." He started to walk closer to, which made Tea automatically step back. "We have so much catching up to do, _Anzu._"

Tea felt her heart skip a beat. This person thought that she was her incarnation, Anzu. So, without even needing an introduction, Tea could tell who exactly this person was. "Y-you're Gyousei...aren't you?"

Gyousei chuckled, he enjoyed seeing Tea on the defensive. He took this time to study her. It was just how he remembered Anzu. The only difference is the fact that her hair was much shorter. To him, she _was _Anzu. "It has only been ten thousand years, Anzu...you have forgotten about me already? Your _dearest_ friend? The one you have fought against in the past?" Gyousei has Tea corned, where her back met against the wall; keeping her from moving anywhere. "Surely, you still remember me, Anzu."

"My name is not Anzu!" Tea knew what this man, who she now knew as Gyousei, was trying to do. He was looking to see how long it would take until he got under her skin. How long it would take for her to hold out against him. Well, Tea was no fool. She would fight until her very last strength was given. And even then, she would do her best to hold on. "It seems that your obsession and your lust for power has made you unable to realize that I am not Anzu," she responded while showing no signs of fear in her voice.

"Hm...well, I suppose that you are correct, my dear. You are simply Anzu's reincarnation. Allow me to give my _humble _apology," Gyousei gave a bow to Tea, but he glanced back to her. Smirking and eying her with those silver orbs. "And such an important person has to be treated well. Why don't I start with your clothing? You look completely drenched."

Before Tea realized what he meant, her battle gear was transformed into dark, elegant gown. The gown was shoulder length, keeping it safely secured around Tea's chest. Whenever she took a step, the dress would move as gracefully as the wind.

As she was staring down to what she was now wearing, Tea did not notice that Gyousei managed to make his way behind her. It wasn't until his hands held her shoulders did she realize how close he was. So much evil...so much darkness, Tea thought she would be used to this kind of power from the enemies that Atem and Yugi had dealt with in the past. All of the shadow games that she witnessed before. Why was this any different? She did not understand. Or maybe it was because she did not sense the darkness as strongly as she does now.

"Beautiful...I think this dress suits you. Do you agree?" His grip tightened a little on her shoulders, causing her body to stiff up. Tea tried to hide it, knowing that Gyousei would be satisfied if she showed signs of fear, but all of that did not matter since she could feel him smirking. "Why so nervous? Surely, a strong girl like you is not afraid of me...are you?" He was playing with her. Tea knew it. She ripped herself out of his hands; standing as far away from him as possible.

Quickly, before Gyousei could make another move, Tea created an energy orb in her hand. Glaring at the one who was keeping her captive. The one who was keeping her away from her friends. "I don't care how powerful you are or how much you may frighten me, but I won't hesitate to fight you!"

"Now is that any way to treat someone who has shown you hospitality? No "thank-you" or "I'm grateful for your help"? I think I deserve _some _sort of gratitude from you."

"How about I give you the pleasure to drop dead?" Tea then threw her orb, hoping to get progress when she hit her target. It was just about to cause damage to Gyousei, but all hopes plummeted when her attack was stopped in midair.

His hand raised up in order to take the orb and watching it float in his hands. Gyousei felt the rush of energy flowing through with just this one orb. He could sense the great power that he has been wanting for his own. "Incredible...energy that belonged to Princess Anzu is now in my possession. An attack this powerful could take out thousands of my Shadow Demons," He allowed the orb to float into his chest, absorbing every bit of potency it offered. "Just a sample, but it seems my strength has grown even more. "Now, I am sure you know why you were brought to me, don't you?"

"Well, _obviously _I do know. I'm reminded of it everytime your goons come to attack me and my friends!" Tea hissed.

"Things would have been much more easier if you had just came willingly the first time, my dear. And if it was not for those...little kittens of yours, you would have never known about this power inside of you," Gyousei smirked. "I would have had ways of coming after you, without you even realizing your true potential. But my revenge against you will still be sweeter either way."

Tea just looked at this man who was thirsty for power. How is it that this same being was once called Anzu's friend? Why is it that he was so focused on evil and darkness? Just what happened in the past between Gyousei and Anzu? Things would be less complicated if Tea knew what exactly caused Gyousei to become this way. He kept talking about getting revenge against her. No...revenge against _Anzu. _Tea just happened to be the target because of her being born again as Anzu...but with a different identity.

"Why are you seeking revenge? You and Anzu used to be close friends in your past life. Why are you betraying her?" Tea took a minute to calm down her racing heart. Being face to face with Gyousei was still becoming a difficult task. But as she promised herself, she would not let that make her weak. "She always wondered why you just suddenly became this violent towards her. Don't you care about her at all? Have you ever cared about her? Or was this all just an act to get close to her and learn her magic?"

"Hm...I guess no one has told you _everything. _It is sad when things are not clear to you, when others have all of the answers that you seek," He walked a little closer to Tea again, which meant that she took another step back. She was determined to keep a gap in between them, but Gyousei knew that is wouldn't be long until he filled that gap. "Are you sure that what has been told to you is the truth? Has it ever occurred to you that maybe _Anzu_ was the one that betrayed _me_?" he said.

"No, it didn't occur to me. Because, I know that that is not true at all. Anzu saw you as her friend. Someone, she cared so much about and it hurt her to find out that you turned on her. She did everything she could in order to see the goodness inside you again. She even sacrificed her _life_ when there was nothing more she could do. So, how can you stand there, and justify that it was _you _who was betrayed? When you were the one who caused this in the first place!"

He was silent. All Gyousei did was look at Tea with a blank look. Did she have any idea just who she was talking to? He could easily destroy her with just one attack, but it would just be a waste of time. And, of course, he needed her alive to absorb her powers. But just looking at her blue eyes; full of passion, determination, courage, love...all of those qualities reminded him so much of Anzu. And how much she would defend all of the people she held most dearly to her heart.

This time, when he stepped closer to Tea again, she stood in her spot; surprising him when she made no movement. "There are many things that you are simply naive to understand. But, it seems that you care so strongly about friendship. I have seen a glimpse of the ones you are most close with," he said.

"They mean so much to me, we all have been through a lot in the past. And that is why I will not let you or any of your shadow goons hurt them. I would die before I allow that to happen."

Gyousei smirked, he saw that same fiery spark again. "So much determination. To bad that will all come tumbling down...when you find out the _real _truth about these "friends" of yours."

Tea became confused. Just what was he talking about? Gyousei did not know the first thing about her friends. And she refused to listen. She had to find a way to escape this place and get back home to Atem and the others.

He could see the denial, taking this as a sign to continue. Gyousei would enjoy seeing this girl weaken before his eyes. "Do you not believe me? Well, that is a shame. But let me ask you...have you ever wondered _why _they have suddenly started to come to your aide more?" He was now so close to Tea, that having her realize just how much, made her back come in contact with the wall. His hand reached up, palm facing forward, and it pressed against Tea's forehead. This process allowed Gyousei to see inside Tea's mind; her memories.

He saw everything. Everything from the time when it was just Tea and Yugi as friends, then the ones she called Joey and Tristan came into the picture. It wasn't a great start when they met these two boys, but after watching Yugi put himself in harms way just to protect them, Tristan and Joey became their friends as well.

Then, there was another. Another being that Tea held dear to her heart. It was not a true being at first, more like a spirit. A spirit that resided inside of an ancient artifact, that Gyousei once heard of, called the Millennium Puzzle. One of seven mystical Millennium Items that were once created in the ancient past. And throughout time, many have tried to claim the power of the pharaoh, but have not been able to succeed. A power such as that, was something Gyousei craved for. And he would have also come after it himself, but his main goal was the girl in front of him.

And then, there was the first time Tea started to develop feelings for this spirit. Those feelings progressed more whenever he switched bodies with this Yugi character. He was the main hold on Tea's heart. And he would also be the one to shatter it. He and the rest of those little pests that dared to stand in his way. They would be the perfect pawns in his plans for destruction.

His hand was removed from Tea and he watched as a confused, but half-lidded gaze rested upon him. "I see you have a strong bond with those friends of yours. No wonder your heart is so strong on this _friendship _you speak of."

"You looked inside my mind, didn't you?" The confusion quickly switched to a glare. How dare he invade her mind? Her _memories_? "You had no right!" She yelled in anger and then pushed herself from the wall, away from Gyousei. She summoned up another one of her energy orbs, preparing to fire. Tea did not care if it would get absorbed again. She would figure out a way to bring down this dark lord on her own. Or at least until the others came to find her.

"Oh, but I needed to, in order to open your eyes about the people you call your friends. I see that you offer so much of your support for them," Gyousei moved towards Tea again, making her power up her orb again. He could just feel how much energy she was using in this one little ball. Energy that would soon become his. "You give them encouraging words when times are dim for them. Show your support when they begin to think it is hopeless. You have such a big heart. But then...has your big heart ever gotten that same support in return? The same encouragement?"

"That's a stupid question! My friends care about me and support me the same way I do for them!"

"How can you be so sure? Think about it. Everyone sees you as the weak, little cheerleader who has been left behind while the others have become stronger."

That word again...weak. Tea dreaded that word. And as much she hated to admitted it, Gyousei was right. She has been called a weak, little girl who only cheered from the sidelines. She was best for being kidnapped than being the hero. No matter how much she tried to change it, there was always someone who was bold enough to call her weak. And it hurts her every time. "Shut up! You don't know anything!" Tea threw her energy orb to Gyousei, and once again, it went through him. If this continued, then she would run out of options fast.

"Your emotions are clouding your mind to the truth," Using his magic, Gyousei produced a large image in the room. It showed the gang laughing like there was not a care in the world. It was how Tea wanted them to be when all of this was over. But then...something was missing. She saw Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Atem...but where was she? Why wasn't she with them? And why _were _they laughing freely at a time like this? Were they not looking for her? Did they not realize that she was missing and needed their help?

So deep into the image, Tea did not notice Gyousei behind her; holding her shoulders gently, but firmly. Making her wince from his grasp. "Now do you see? Your friends have forgotten all about you. They do not care if you return or not. You are just someone to fill extra space," he said to her.

The image looked real, but Tea refused to believe what she was seeing. Her eyes clenched shut, wanting to block out everything she saw. "You're wrong...it's a lie," she whispered.

"They why don't you take another look. This time, we will show your precious pharaoh," At the mention of Atem, Tea opened her eyes again. He was standing alone, at the bridge where they watched the sunset together. He looked so majestic; so elegantly handsome as the last rays of the sun glowed against his hair and skin. She had to smile. Just watching his peaceful appearance made her so happy. Despite of where she was now. But that smile...slowly faded away when she saw what happened next.

Atem was not alone anymore.

There was a girl walking towards him. She looked beautiful, Tea thought. And when Atem looked up to her...he was happy. They _both _looked happy. And just seeing Atem embrace this girl struck her heart. They were talking, but she could not hear what they said. She did not have to. Just watching the way they smiled and laughed together was enough. It was the same way she and Atem were when they were alone.

Tea felt herself tearing up. It hurts to see Atem like this with another girl. It made what they have seem meaningless. But is this what was really happening now? Did Atem break his promise to her? And what about the others? Could this have really been all for nothing?

"Have you finally realized it, Tea? You were not meant to have friends. Your purpose in life was to be used for power. You are only a vessel that contains the greatest energy known to man. You are only existing because of this power."

She did not respond. It was easy to just surrender to Gyousei's words. Surrender to the images that were now swimming around in her head. But there was that little voice inside of Tea that would not allow her to quit. That everything she saw and heard was a lie.

Tea remembered all of the times with the guys. How Joey and Tristan would fight over who was the best at eating the most. Yugi's kind and gentle nature, which helped a lot when a fight broke out between the two eating machines. She remembered Duelist Kingdom, how they all sat by the fire and talked about things other than Pegasus. Laughed along with each other over the silliest things.

She remembered the bond of friendship that she created over their hands. It was a special symbol to Tea, and even though the ink of the symbol faded away, it was always carried with them in their hearts.

Sure, there were moments that Tea felt annoyed at times, but that was how her friends acted. It was what brought out their true personalities and she would not trade them for anything in the world. And though she was the only female of the group, it did not matter. They treated her like a sister.

All except one.

Which led her to thinking about Atem. Remembering how everyone was so thrilled to have him stay with them; giving him a second chance to have a real life. She smiled a little, thinking about how he tried out things for the first time in his own body. Like ice cream for instance. She remembered giggling as she watched Atem take his first bite while he shivered a little from the cold treat. That little moment made her fall in love with him even more.

And it was then, that her wish came true. _Their _wish came true. Being surrounded by the warmth of her pharaoh. His deep, strong voice he used in battle, with their friends and when it was just the two of them together. His eyes that searched deep into her soul, his beautiful smile...and the way he tells her how much he loves her. And _that _was enough to convince Tea of the truth.

"You are lying..." Tea smiled, which caused Gyousei to become confused for the first time. "Your tricks won't work against me. Those are not my friends, that is just an illusion to make me believe it's them. I will admit, Gyousei, I almost fell for it. I guess you can thank my heart for pulling me back into reality. So, sorry that your scheme didn't plan out the way you hoped," Just when Tea realized the truth, the image showing Atem and the girl shattered into millions of pieces.

Witnessing this, Gyousei became enraged. He had wanted to break her down; mind, heart and soul. Curse that spirit of hers, that same spirit that Anzu harbored. He stood motionless, all signs of rage leaving his face and were being replaced by chuckling. "You have saw through the illusion. Impressive work, Tea. However, it does not mean that I will not obtain what I have waited ten thousand years for," he said. Taking his hand, Gyousei raised it above his head.

Tea did not understand what it was that Gyousei was planning, but before she could even sense it, a strong wave of dark energy struck her. She screamed louder than she thought possible. The attack was so intense, it was causing her body to convulse uncontrollably. She knew that Gyousei was powerful, but _feeling _his magic was a completely different experience. Tea never thought anything would hurt this much. And she was afraid.

She needed to figure out a way to stop this attack, before it was too late. Struggling with her hand, Tea tried to summon her staff. Fortunately, she was able to bring out her weapon after much strain. The orb upon her staff glowed brightly and it negated Gyousei's attack. She lost the feeling in her legs and they gave out on her. Making Tea land on her knees. Her body was still shaking, she was in pain...but she was safe. At least...for the moment.

Gyousei looked at her blankly. Part of him was a bit stunned that his attack, that brought beings to their doom, was completely stopped by this girl. "You continue to surprise me, my dear. But do not expect for that to happen again. I have weaken your abilities, there is no hope for you," he said while walking closer to Tea's fallen form.

"You're wrong..." She was struggling to talk. Tea did not realize just how much Gyousei weakened her, but she would not be beaten so easily. She slowly rose back up on her feet and glared viciously at her enemy. "I will find a way to defeat you...even if I do it alone physically, the spirits of my friends will help me."

"Do not be so foolish. It is taking every ounce of your strength just to keep standing," Gyousei raised his hand again, making Tea prepare for the same attack to come lashing at her once more. He could see that she was preparing herself, so he decided to use more power with this one. "I will now, finally, have my revenge." Just as he promised, the attack stuck Tea again. Gyousei took silent pleasure in hearing her glorious screams.

Tea felt like she was being ripped apart from the inside out. This attack was much more powerful than the last. She lost her balance and landed on her side, where she had hoped to somehow escape this cruel pain. She was never struck by lightning before, but Tea knew that what she was suffering through now, was worse than lightning.

Was this the beginning of the end for her? It was starting to sink into her mind, that this could be her last moments of life. Would she suffer the same fate as Anzu? Was history repeating itself?

_'No..this can't be the end of it. I've fought so hard, trying to keep this power inside of me safe.'_ Tea tried to fight through this energy, but more screams were released whenever she tried to move and part of her body. _'This can't be the end..I cannot give up! Guys...Atem, please help me! PLEASE!' _

_

* * *

_

After watching helplessly as Jouta took Tea away, Atem called up the others and they were now meeting in the park. He had just finished filling them all in to what happened. Thankfully, it was nightfall, so no one would be able to spot Kiyomichi and Shirabe. The rain also stopped not too long ago. Atem returned back in his normal attire, but kept his trusty sword within his hand. He refused to put the blade away until Tea was found and safe in his arms again.

"This is bad," Kiyomichi replied. He was currently transformed in his larger form and taken on a serious expression. "Now that Tea is within Gyousei's reach, there is no telling on what he could do to her."

"Or what he _is _doin' to her," Joey clenched his fist, feeling fired up and itching to take on the shadow demons that kidnapped his friend. "That's why we got to find this dark fortress of theirs and get Tea back."

"Great plan you've thought of, Joey, but how do you expect that we _get _there? And even when we do, where would we start searching? I'm sure that Gyousei has loads of Shadow Demons lurking around in that dimension of his," Tristan pointed out.

Joey held up his dueling deck. "You forget that we got our monsters, Tristan. And getting there shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"No," Everyone turned to Shirabe when she suddenly spoke. Neither her, nor Kiyomichi were looking optimistic about the situation. It was as if their expressions were saying that all was lost; there was no hope. "The portal to Gyousei's world is impossible for us to get through, let alone create. Kiyomichi and I cannot bring upon such power."

"Are you saying...that Tea is stuck with him?" Yugi asked, not wanting to believe that his childhood friend would never come back again. Yugi could not imagine the days without Tea in their group. She was basically the one that kept things in order when Yugi could not.

And looking at his partner after four years of talking to him through the puzzle, Yugi could see that Atem was not fairing well. This was not something he needed to hear. This was not something that _any _of them needed to hear. There just had to be some way to find Tea and bring her home.

Just then, a scream echoed throughout air. A woman's scream.

They all charged to where the scream was heard from. It was not long before they found the woman, but she was not alone. Their eyes widened to what they were watching. A shadow demon was pulling something from the woman's body. A glowing ball of light was held within the palm of this demon's hand.

Atem remembered the same glowing light that he and Tea saw when they defeated those wolves. Now he knew exactly what they were.

Souls from innocent people. But why, and for what purpose?

This was just like Dartz and the Orichalcos all over again. Atem would not allow this to happen again. Before the demon could disappear, Atem raced forward and attacked it as it was getting away. He was able to save this woman from having her soul stolen from her. Any second later, and she would have been trapped by the clutches of Gyousei.

But it would not make up for failing to save Tea. It was his fault for not being able to break through the barrier and stop Jouta in time. And until she returned to him, that was how Atem would feel. But even then...he would _still _have that guilt.

Something floated forward and everyone looked up in time to watch as the glowing ball gently descended back into the woman's chest. She was still unconscious, but her skin was not a deathly, pale color anymore. She now looked asleep.

"Great job there, Atem. You stopped that little freak just in time," Tristan said.

A moan was released from the woman. She opened her eyes, vision looking blurry at first, but as soon as things were cleared, she was surrounded by people that were not familiar to her. "W-what is going on?" she asked in confusion.

Kiyomichi temporarily transformed back into his smaller form, while Shirabe placed an invisibility spell upon herself. She was easily hidden, but Kiyomichi hid behind Atem to keep the woman from being suspicious of them. They did not need anymore humans knowing about their existence.

Yugi decided to make up a little story, to make the woman think that everything was a dream. "Oh, we were all walking home and saw that you had fainted, ma'am. Are you all right?"

"I..think so," After getting the feeling back in her legs, she was able to stand up with Joey's assistance. "I must have scared you all. It's funny, I do not just faint out of the blue like that. Must be because I'm working to hard," she let out a laugh from the situation. She gave her thanks to the guys and went on her way. As soon as she was gone, Kiyomichi and Shirabe came out of hiding.

"So, that is what Gyousei is using to strengthen his powers," Kiyomichi had returned to his larger form. "Souls from the living...the ones he thought could be the strongest until he was able to capture Tea," he replied.

Shirabe glared at the ground, as if waiting for it to break apart. "Who knows how many of those souls were sacrificed in vain?" she said in a quiet tone.

"Well, don't you think that you two ought to work your magic and create a portal for us? So, that we can go set Tea and those souls free from that maniac!" Joey gruffly asked.

"We told you that we cannot," Shirabe said plainly.

"Don't give me that load of bull!" Joey marched up to both Kiyomichi and Shirabe. He was seriously becoming angry with the two. "Our friend is in the hands of some energy draining freak and you two can't bother to lift up a paw to help her? You have all this talk about wanting to protect Tea because of your past-life princess, but when the time comes when she needs help, you _can't _do _anything_? What kind of "protectors" are you? You're just going to give up now?"

Kiyomichi furiously growled in anger. He jumped in front of Shirabe, keeping her hidden away from Joey's form. "How _DARE _you imply that we do not protect Tea? Our powers will not allow us to summon a portal that will direct us to Gyousei's dimension. Because that world is made up of darkness. Shirabe and I can only harness powers of the light. We are trying every which way we can to think of a way to bring Tea back!"

"Well, you're not trying hard enough!"

"I don't see _YOU _doing anything to help!"

"What did you say?" Joey was urging to fight Kiyomichi, but Tristan and Yugi were holding him back. Keeping Joey from doing something he might regret.

"Joey stop!" Yugi yelled.

"Yeah man, control yourself! Don't be stupid!" Tristan yelled from the right.

Ignoring Yugi and Tristan, Joey continued to struggle out of their grips. "You want to run that by me again, Mr. Kitty? When it comes to my buddies, I'm always ready to fight for them!"

"That is pretty hard to believe, when you are busy barking orders!" Kiyomichi glared, ready to defend himself should any sign of attack was placed upon him.

Joey growled, who did this guy..._cat_, think he was talking to? It was bad enough when Kaiba would have the dog puns for him, but to have it being heard again from this panther, it plucked every nerve in his body. "Alright, Litter Breath, it's go time! I'll shrink that big mouth of yours down to size with my fist!"

"Watching you eat your words will be great pleasure for me," Kiyomichi was taking a pouncing position and ready to attack.

Shirabe stared with wide eyes at the confrontation, and she tried her hardest to stop Kiyomichi from making the wrong move. "Kiyomichi, have you gone insane? Stop this, both of you!"

"I will not be responsible for whatever he decides to do, Shirabe."

"Well, then bring it on, fur-ball."

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Everyone flinched from the intense, booming voice that silenced the argument that had been occurring. Besides explaining the events that took place with Jouta, Atem barely said a word to anyone. But they all knew that he was hurting the most. "The more time that we all waste on arguing, will be less time we have in trying to think of a way to reach Tea. We should be focusing our energies on fighting to save her, not on each other," he pointed out clearly and firmly.

Signs of regret made Joey and Kiyomichi feel guilty for how they were behaving. Atem was right. They needed to think about bringing Tea home safely, instead of going at each others' throats.

Joey turned to Kiyomichi, who also turned to him with a sullen stare. "Hey, I'm sorry for...you know, being a jerk to you."

"I also apologize, and I also understand that you and everyone of us here do not wish harm upon Tea. Believe me...if there was anything that Shirabe and I could do to open a portal to Gyousei's dimension, then we would not hesitate to try. Even if it costs us our lives. But, there is no way of to pick up on his location," Kiyomichi replied with frustration in his voice.

"But there has to be something we can do," Yugi stood next to Atem, sensing that he was struggling within his thoughts. He hated seeing any of his friends in this kind of mood now. Like there was no hope left for them.

"There is...and I am here to give you the answer."

Feeling another presence coming towards them, Atem turned the source of who was appearing in front of them. It was only a silhouette figure at first, but once it started to become clear, Atem felt his heart skip a beat from who he _thought _it was. _'Tea?'_

It was an easy recognition. Atem could automatically tell, even through the shadows, if it was Tea he would see. But as this woman came closer, she was not Tea. And though she had the same facial features, the same energy reading...it was not confirmed to be Tea. Still, Atem, along with the others, were struck by who it was.

"I do not believe it...you are really here," Shirabe whispered, shockingly.

Kiyomichi was silent, but that did not mean he was just as shocked as Shirabe. And he was not seeing things. It was _indeed _that his eyes were not playing tricks on him. Standing in front of everyone's view was Princess Anzu. Still caught in the silence, Kiyomichi still managed to get his voice to work. "...How? H-how is this possible?"

Anzu smiled, making a shushing sign with her finger. "I know that you all are surprised by my sudden appearance. And I know that there are many questions that you would like to ask," Her smile then slowly vanished. "I wish this meeting was under pleasant circumstances, but unfortunately, time is of the essence. I have come to you all because I have temporarily lost my connection with Tea. Because Gyousei has gained hold of her, my spirit is not able to pass through to his dark dimension. Even though it is faint, I can still sense that Tea is in trouble," she said, clutching her hand against her chest.

A fear that everyone had hoped would not come true. It was a mission now. They needed to reach Tea. The matter of how to get to her was the only problem they were dealing with.

"Then, what can we do?" Atem's hand was turning numb from the intense grip on his sword. He did not care. He could not feel anything throughout his body, except for the developing pain in his heart. "How can we find her, if there is not a way of opening the portal?"

"That is why I am here, my pharaoh. There is a possible way of getting through to Gyousei's world," Anzu replied.

"Can you summon the portal, princess?" Yugi asked.

"No, I cannot. Like Kiyomichi and Shirabe, my powers are unable to summon dark magic. However...the pharaoh has the ability."

"Me? But..." Atem didn't know how to reply by this sudden information. He had the power to summon the portal? But what if he lost himself to the darkness, like when he brought forth the Orichalcos? When that happened, it was Yugi's soul that paid the price for _his _mistake. If he lost another person close to him, if he lost Tea...could he really take that risk? "I don't know if I can..." he muttered.

Joey and Tristan were confused to Atem's answer. "What? Atem, what do you mean? This is our only way of getting Tea back," Joey said.

Even though there was confusion around the group as to why Atem was hesitating, Yugi was the only one who knew the reason as to why. There were moments that Atem still blames himself for that choice he made by using the Seal of Orichalcos once. Days when he fought against the darkness that was trying to take over his soul. But he prevailed, and at the same time, he was able to save the world and free Dartz from his own darkness.

"You don't have to be afraid of it anymore," Yugi said, placing his hand upon Atem's shoulder.

"He is right, my pharaoh," Anzu walked forward until she was standing in front of Atem. "I can sense that you have dealt with the darkness before. How greatly you have tried to prove everyone that you were not evil. And you have proved it. Darkness does not always have to be evil. You have the heart to make that happen. Do not fear the power inside of you, the power that will help you in rescuing Tea."

Atem took Yugi's and Anzu's word into consideration. They were right, and they did not even realize just _how _right they were. So, if his power of darkness is what will save Tea, then he would faithfully use it. And with his friends behind him, Atem did not have to worry about losing himself to the darkness again. Because his heart was pure enough to fight through it, fight against it...and fight _with _it.

His puzzle began to glow. It was as if it sensed Atem's thoughts; his feelings. He let instinct take over by lifting his hand; palm facing forward, waiting for anything unusual to happen. Nothing appeared just yet, everyone was holding their breath.

And just like that, the portal was slowly beginning to come forth. Swirling darkness surrounded the portal, but there was nothing evil flowing from it, much to Atem's relief. Turning the others, they were just as relieved as he was. "Well, this is it. I think it's best if I go on ahead, I don't want-"

"Hey, don't give us that whole "I-don't-want-any-of-you-guys-hurt" speech, Atem," Joey interrupted.

"Yeah, we're coming along with you, man," Tristan gave a thumbs up to confirm.

"You should know that by now, Atem. When one is in trouble, we _all _stick together and fight," Yugi said, smiling.

"I shall journey along with you as well. I will be able to connect with Tea and help you find her," Anzu said.

"And you don't even have to question on whether Shirabe and I are coming. I believe the answer is pretty obvious," Kiyomichi replied with Shirabe nodding in agreement.

Atem just smiled back and shook his head. How could he even think of convincing them all to stay behind? They had as much right to go along as he did. Tea was important to all of them, and they all wanted to bring her back as a team. So, Atem could not deny them of that. "Alright then, let's go. Tea is waiting for us."

There were no second thoughts, it was now or never. Walking through the portal was their only option. They would be facing Gyousei. It was a guarantee that the fight would not be an easy one, there would be loads of traps, but none of that will keep any of them from their main goal.

But before Atem could even face Gyousei, he had another score to settle with Jouta. That battle would be _his _to face alone. And he was determined to be victorious.

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**A/N: **Well, this chapter was much longer than I had expected. But hopefully, it turned out alright. Gyousei is now surfacing into the story, you will find out more of his powers and his past in later chapters. Please leave a review to let me know how this chapter turned out, okay? I will update more as soon as I can. But for now, Moon is signing off.


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